Roll of Honor
Incident
Trooper Ross Riley died after falling approximately 30-feet while participating in a high-angle rescue training exercise in Letchworth State Park.
As part of the exercise a life-size dummy had been placed on a ledge of a cliff over Wolf Creek. Trooper Riley, a paramedic for the agency, and two other troopers rappelled to the ledge and secured the dummy to a stretcher. As other personnel began to lift the stretcher Trooper Riley fell backwards and dropped approximately 30 feet into Wolf Creek, suffering severe head injuries.
The other two troopers immediately descended to his location and administered aid. He was transported to Wyoming County Community Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.
Trooper Riley was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of the Persian Gulf War and had served with the New York State Police for 17 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-3BBC299C- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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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.
Trooper Riley gave the New York State Police 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New York, and 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
Ross M. Riley served in the Marine Corps (1987â1992) before joining law enforcement.
Trooper Ross M. Riley is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 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 1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At New York State Police, 94 of 171 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 55% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ross M. Riley's cause is highlighted.
How Ross M. Riley Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Ross M. Riley is highlighted in Nov.
Others Who Wore This Badge
170 officers from New York State Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
