Robert Lee Kinman

Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Police Department — Cleveland, OH

Felonious

End of Watch July 15, 1918

Age 50

The Vigil Panel 34 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 11

Incident

Location: Kentucky Weapon: Handgun Offender: Convicted of murderr

Railroad Detective Robert Kinman was shot and killed as he and another railroad detective investigated a group of trespassers in the railroad yards in Ashland, Kentucky.

The yard master had notified the detectives after he saw a group of men in the yard and suspected them of being boxcar thieves. The detectives located one of the men standing along a train and discovered he was carrying 20 pints of liquor. As they talked to the man, one of his companions emerged from underneath the train and shot both officers, killing Detective Kinman. The subjects fled the scene but were eventually arrested.

The man who shot Detective Kinman had recently been released on parole after serving a short sentence for murdering a woman. He was convicted of Detective Kinman's murder and sent back to the state penitentiary. He escaped from prison in 1921 with two other inmates.

Detective Kinman was survived by his wife.

Survivors

Detective Kinman was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-5C9CE01F
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Railroad Detective Kinman served with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Cleveland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Railroad Detective Kinman.

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

Agency

Department Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Cleveland, OH

Platform Identity corpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 15, 1918

Age 50

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Railroad Detective Robert Lee Kinman is one of 17,559 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,586 officers honored here.

In OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points above the national rate of 53.9%.

At Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Police Department, 10 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 83.3% of this agency's fallen.

Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Police Department

of 12 officers

83.3% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,559

of 32,586 officers

53.9% Felonious