Incident
Constable Close was shot and killed by a crazed drunk man he was attempting to arrest. The suspect was terrifying residents on Union Street by shooting off his shotgun into their homes. He shot Constable Close in the head as the officer followed him into a house he had broken into. The suspect tried to commit suicide but only succeeded in blowing off part of his lower jaw. He was charged with second degree murder. The 35-year-old suspect was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10 to 20 years. After six months in prison he was diagnosed as being hopelessly insane and transferred to Mattaewan Insane Asylum. Constable Close had been deputized by the sheriff to arrest the suspect the same day he was killed.
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BO-US-NY-F1CEAF64- Stewardship
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- 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.
Constable Close served with the Dundee Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Dundee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Constable Close.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Constable Jay D. Close 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jay D. Close's cause is highlighted.
How Jay D. Close Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to 20 years
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Jay D. Close is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Jay D. Close was killed by shotgun.