Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police Daniel Hayes was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a suspect. He had been summoned by the suspect's father who had asked Chief Hayes to arrest the man for discharging a pistol in a saloon. Chief Hayes located the man near the Railroad Hotel in the downtown area. As he attempted to arrest the man a struggle ensued and Chief Hayes was shot in the stomach. Chief Hayes succumbed to his injuries four days later. The suspect was found guilty of his murder and executed in 1882. Chief Hayes became the first police chief of Ansonia when the police department was created earlier that year. He was survived by his wife and three children. He was a Union Civil War Veteran having served as a private with the 3rd Connecticut Light Artillery Battery from September, 1864, until the end of the war in 1865.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CT-278AC272- 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.
Chief of Police Hayes gave the Ansonia Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Ansonia 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Daniel J. Hayes served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Chief of Police Daniel J. Hayes is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In CT, 74 of 169 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 43.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.4 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Daniel J. Hayes's cause is highlighted.
How Daniel J. Hayes Compares
Offender Outcome
Executed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Daniel J. Hayes is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Daniel J. Hayes was killed by handgun.