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Walter Hart
Agency patch
Detective

Walter Hart

Cincinnati Police Department — Cincinnati, OH
Felonious
United States flag Ohio flag
End of Watch September 19, 1955
Age 49
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Badge D1
The Vigil Panel 91 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 105

Incident

Detective Walter Hart was shot and killed by three suspects following a holdup at the Grey Eagle Café at 201 W. Sixth Street in Cincinnati at 11:50 pm. Two suspects entered the restaurant with weapons and announced the holdup while another waited outside as the lookout man. Detective Hart guided all the patrons to the safety of the restrooms before drawing his service weapon. He shot one suspect who was pulling cash from the cash register. Another suspect shot him in the back and heart. He returned fire, and the suspects fled the café. Detective Hart was transported to Cincinnati General hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds at 12:36 am. The three suspects had met in prison and were on parole. Two suspects were apprehended immediately. One suspect, who was wounded, was apprehended and pled insanity. He was found innocent due to insanity and died at the Lima State Hospital. The third suspect was apprehended 17 months later in Alabama. The two suspects were sentenced to death and subsequently executed on July 7, 1958. Detective Hart had been with the Cincinnati Police Department for 26 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

26 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Hart gave the Cincinnati Police Department 26 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Cincinnati community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Hart.

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

Agency

Department Cincinnati Police Department
Type Police Department
Location Cincinnati, Hamilton County, OH
Platform Identity cincpd.hamilton.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 19, 1955
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Age 49
Badge Number D1
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Walter is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1955, 53 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 135th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Walter was 49. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Walter had served 26 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

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

Cincinnati Police Department has 106 officers remembered here, Walter among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Detective Walter Hart

Cincinnati Police Department · End of Watch September 19, 1955

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 37-W

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