Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Vincent Spinelli suffered a fatal heart attack after being struck in the chest by a disorderly inmate at the jail dormitory located at the Cayuga County Public Safety Building on County House Road in Auburn. The inmate was upset about receiving the wrong sandwich at meal time. He assaulted Sergeant Spinelli and two other officers in the jail's dormitory before being subdued. Sergeant Spinelli collapsed and died approximately two hours later. The inmate was acquitted of manslaughter but convicted of assaulting two other officers. Sergeant Spinelli was a United States Maine Corps Vietnam War veteran and served with the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office for eight years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-E7F8FEA1- 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.
Sergeant Spinelli gave the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Auburn 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
Vincent S. Spinelli, Sr. served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Sergeant Vincent S. Spinelli, Sr. is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NY, 99 of 2,147 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 4.6% of this state's fallen. That is 0.6 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.
At Cayuga County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Vincent S. Spinelli, Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Vincent S. Spinelli, Sr. Compares
Offender Outcome
Convicted of assault
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Vincent S. Spinelli, Sr. is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Cayuga County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
