Wilfredo Cotto-Aponte
Agency patch
Policeman

Wilfredo Cotto-Aponte

Puerto Rico Police Department — San Juan, 127
Felonious
End of Watch May 18, 1982
Age 31
Tour of Duty 11 yrs 3 mo
Badge 1014
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Wilfredo Cotto-Aponte was shot and killed while moving illegal residents off of private land in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. At about 10:30 am, police units arrived at the Community Villa Sin Miedo in Rio Grande with a court order to remove a group of people who lived illegally on the private land. After an hour of eviction notices by the police, a police tactical unit entered the community to begin the forced eviction. When Officer Cotto-Aponte walk into a dorm, a man shot him in the throat. Officer Cotto-Aponte was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. The assailant was arrested at the scene, and was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Officer Cotto-Aponte worked with the Puerto Rico Police Department for 11 years, and was assigned to the Metropolitan Tactical Operations Unit.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two sons; both who later joined the Puerto Rico Police Department.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Policeman Cotto-Aponte gave the Puerto Rico Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Policeman Cotto-Aponte.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location San Juan, 127
Platform Identity prpd.pr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 18, 1982
Tour of Duty 11 yrs 3 mo
Age 31
Badge Number 1014
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Wilfredo is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1982, 122 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 42nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Wilfredo was 31. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Wilfredo had served 11.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Puerto Rico Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Wilfredo among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Policeman Wilfredo Cotto-Aponte

Puerto Rico Police Department · End of Watch May 18, 1982

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 63-E

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