Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Neil Gibbons and Patrolman John McGlynn died of injuries they received when the engine on their patrol boat exploded.
Patrolman McGlynn had just finished refueling the boat and had started the engine when this occurred. Fire from the explosion caught Sergeant Gibbons' and Patrolman McGlynn's clothing and set them on fire. The force of the explosion also threw both officers into the river. They were rescued from the water by a third patrolman who was also on the boat but who was only slightly injured in the explosion.
Sergeant Gibbons and Patrolman McGlynn were taken to Bellevue Hospital where they both later died from their injuries.
Sergeant Gibbons was a U.S. Navy veteran of the Spanish-American War and served with the New York City Police Department, assigned to the Marine Division.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-23D53282- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Neil is one person.
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Tributes
I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Gibbons gave the New York City Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Neil Gibbons served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.
Sergeant Neil Gibbons is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In NY, 645 of 2,147 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30% of this state's fallen. That is 30 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At New York City Police Department, 283 of 1237 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 22.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Neil Gibbons's cause is highlighted.
How Neil Gibbons Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Neil Gibbons is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Military Service
Neil Gibbons served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.
Visit Neil Gibbons’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1,236 officers from New York City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
