William T. Hunt

Buffalo Police Department — Buffalo, NY

Felonious

End of Watch January 17, 1924

Age 63

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 46 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 50

Incident

Patrolman William Hunt succumbed to a fractured skull when he was beaten by a subject he had arrested for suspicion of burglary. Patrolman Hunt had arrested two subjects and stopped to use the patrol box at North Division Street and Chestnut Street. While making his call, the subject pointed his gun at Patrolman Hunt's head and fired three times, but the gun failed to discharge. The subject used the gun's handle to beat Patrolman Hunt unconscious before Patrolman Hunt could reach for his own gun. Patrolman Hunt was transported to the Emergency Hospital, where he was able to give a description of his attacker. He succumbed to his injuries two days later. The suspect was captured later in the day and found guilty of murder. He was sentenced to death and executed in the electric chair on January 22, 1925. Patrolman Hunt had sevred with the Buffalo Police Department for at least two years, assigned to the pawnshop squad.

Survivors

He was survived by two sons and a daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-87106009
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Hunt gave the Buffalo Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Buffalo community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Hunt.

— 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 17, 1924

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 63

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Executed in 1925

Patrolman William T. Hunt 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