Timothy J. Cantlin

Buffalo Police Department — Buffalo, NY

Felonious

End of Watch January 12, 1896

The Vigil Panel 13 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 50

Incident

Sergeant Cantlin was shot and killed by a Buffalo Patrolman he planned to make a complain against. Sergeant Cantlin found the patrolman off his beat and inside a bar. When the Patrolman exited the bar, Sergeant Cantlin approached him and told him he was suspended. He ordered the Patrolman back to the station house where a complaint to the Captain would be filed. The Patrolman asked Sergeant Cantlin to forget about filing a complaint, but Sergeant Cantlin replayed "I can't do it, you have to go to the station house and see the Captain about it." "Take that, then," the Patrolman said and he fired a shot into Sergeant Cantlin's right side. Sergeant Cantlin fell to the ground and the Patrolman walked to the station house, telling the reserve officers inside that he was there to warm up. Sergeant Cantlin had lay were he fell for half an hour, but never lost consciousness. Taking his whistle from his pocket he blew alarms until he attracted the attention of another Patrolman, who he told what had happened. Sergeant Cantlin was removed to the hospital where he later died. The Patrolman who shot Sergeant Cantlin lit his pipe and chatted with the reserve officers for a short time and started out of the station house when the Patrolman who had found Sergeant Cantlin approached him and said "You are under arrest for shooting Sergeant Cantlin." He was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in Auburn state prison. He was pardoned by Governor Higgins in 1910. Sergeant Cantlin was assigned to Precinct 7.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-385D5815
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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

130 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sergeant Cantlin served with the Buffalo Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Buffalo community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Buffalo Police Department

Location Buffalo, NY

Platform Identity bpd.erie.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 12, 1896

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Pardoned in 1910

Sergeant Timothy J. Cantlin 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 NY, 754 of 2,147 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.1% of this state's fallen. That is 19.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Buffalo Police Department, 22 of 51 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 43.1% of this agency's fallen.

Buffalo Police Department

of 51 officers

43.1% Felonious

NY — Statewide

754

of 2,147 officers

35.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious