Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Hugh O'Donnell succumbed to injuries sustained when he fell off his horse at the intersection of Prospect Avenue and 28th Street in Bayonne. He had mounted the horse at 22nd Street Avenue F, but the horse immediately broke into a gallop. Another officer nearby followed in a vehicle until he located Patrolman O'Donnell on the ground. He transported Patrolman O'Donnell to Bayonne Hospital, where he succumbed to a fractured skull. Patrolman O'Donnell was a United States Navy WWI veteran and had served with the Bayonne Police Department for over three years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, three children, parents, a brother, and a sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-3726B64B- 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 O'Donnell gave the Bayonne Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Bayonne 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
Hugh O'Donnell served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Patrolman Hugh O'Donnell 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 Bayonne Police Department, 4 of 5 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 80% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Hugh O'Donnell's cause is highlighted.
How Hugh O'Donnell Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Hugh O'Donnell is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Bayonne Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
