Victor C. Breen
Agency patch
District Attorney

Victor C. Breen

Felonious
End of Watch December 1, 1971
Age 54
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
The Vigil Panel 109 ›
Gender Male

Incident

District Attorney Breen was shot and killed in Tucumcari by a mental patient he had helped to convict in 1968. The patient had been released and assassinated District Attorney Breen as he walked to his car before going to work. The suspect was apprehended a short time later and was sent to a state hospital. He was released from the hospital three years later and died in 1988. District Attorney was assigned to the 10th Judicial District of New Mexico and had been with the agency for 20 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters and parents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NM-224EBDA5
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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Tributes

20 years. You could have gone home.
District Attorney Breen gave the New Mexico District Attorney's Office 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Santa Fe community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, District Attorney Breen.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Other
Location Santa Fe, NM
Platform Identity nmdaoda.santafe.nm.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 1, 1971
Tour of Duty 20 yrs
Age 54
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Rifle

District Attorney Victor C. Breen is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In NM, 123 of 193 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.7% of this state's fallen. That is 63.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At New Mexico District Attorney's Office, 1 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

New Mexico District Attorney's Office
1
of 2 officers
50% Felonious
NM — Statewide
123
of 193 officers
63.7% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Victor C. Breen's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Victor C. Breen Compares

Age at Death
54
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
20
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Victor C. Breen is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Victor C. Breen was killed by rifle.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Others Who Wore This Badge

1 officer from New Mexico District Attorney's Office are honored on badge.nw.