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Detective

William Hulligan

Cleveland Division of Police — Cleveland, OH

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch February 8, 1887

Age 40

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Badge 114

The Vigil Panel 9 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 118

Incident

Detective William Hulligan was killed after being struck on the head with a coupling pin by one of three members of the Blinky Morgan Gang as they were attempting to free a fourth gang member. He and another officer were extraditing the prisoner from Pittsburgh and were aboard a train when the incident occurred at a train station in Ravenna, Ohio. The other officer was seriously injured but recovered. On June 27, 1887, the suspects were cornered in Alpena County, Michigan. The gang leader who murdered Detective Hulligan shot and killed Sheriff Charles Lynch of the Alpena County, Michigan, Sheriff's Department. The sheriff died from his wounds on August 17, 1887. Three including their leader were apprehended. One, who was freed from the train, was never apprehended. The leader was convicted of murder and hanged in Ohio on August 3, 1888. The other two were sent to prison but received new trials and were released. Detective Hulligan was a Civil War Veteran who entered the war at the age of 15 as a private with the 24th New York Calvary, Company K and served with the Cleveland Division of Police for 14 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-C3D2503D
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

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.
Detective Hulligan gave the Cleveland Division of Police 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cleveland community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Cleveland Division of Police

Type Other

Location Cleveland, OH

Platform Identity cdpd.cuyahoga.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 8, 1887

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 40

Badge Number 114

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Blunt object

Military Service

William Hulligan served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective William Hulligan 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 OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 57.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Cleveland Division of Police, 83 of 119 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.7% of this agency's fallen.

Cleveland Division of Police

of 119 officers

69.7% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious