Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Thomas Cavanagh was accidentally shot and killed by another officer while conducting shooting practice at the Fourth Regiment Armory on Montgomery Street.
He was standing on the firing line when an officer behind him drew his revolver, and it discharged. The round struck Patrolman Cavanagh in the back, causing a fatal wound.
Patrolman Cavanagh was a U.S. Navy Reserve veteran of WWI and served with the Jersey City Police Department for one year.
Patrolman Cavanagh was a U.S. Navy Reserve veteran of WWI and served with the Jersey City Police Department for one year.
Survivors
He was survived by his father and brothers.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-2075AD46- 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.
Patrolman Cavanagh gave the Jersey City Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Jersey City 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
Thomas Joseph Cavanagh served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Patrolman Thomas Joseph Cavanagh 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 NJ, 258 of 646 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.9% of this state's fallen. That is 8.9 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Jersey City Police Department, 21 of 41 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 51.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas Joseph Cavanagh's cause is highlighted.
How Thomas Joseph Cavanagh Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Joseph Cavanagh is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
40 officers from Jersey City Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
