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Police Officer

Robert W. Mandel

New York City Police Department — New York, NY

Felonious

End of Watch April 23, 1977

Age 26

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Badge 16465

The Vigil Panel 259 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 1,221

Incident

Police Officer Robert Mandel succumbed to gunshot wounds he received on April 19, 1977, from a suspect who was able to gain control of his partner's service weapon. Officer Mandel and his partner, who were in plainclothes, responded to a call of drug sales inside 762 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn. The officers arrested one suspect and turned him over to two uniformed officers. They then went outside the location with a second man who told the officers he had information for them. Once outside, the second man was able to gain control of the service weapon of Officer Mandel's partner. He then opened fire, striking Officer Mandel in the face and his partner in the torso. Officer Mandel and his partner were taken to Brooklyn Jewish Hospital, where he died four days later from his wounds. Officer Mandel's final act of service was to donate his kidneys. His partner was able to make a full recovery. The suspect, 24, who had just been freed on a $500 bail for another charge, was arrested later in the day at his home and charged with attempted murder and murder. On March 7, 1978, he was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison. He was paroled on January 17, 2019, and deported. Officer Mendel had served with the New York City Police Department for five years and was assigned to the 77th Precinct Anti-Crime Unit.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, parents, and brother.

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.
Police Officer Mandel gave the New York City Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Mandel.

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

Agency

Department New York City Police Department

Type Police Department

Location New York, NY

Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 23, 1977

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 26

Badge Number 16465

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1977, 128 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 36th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Robert was 26. 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. Robert had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

April holds 8.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was officer's handgun, in 5.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded