Otto W. Motz

New York City Police Department — New York, NY

Felonious

End of Watch January 19, 1922

Badge 5110

The Vigil Panel 42 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 1,221

Incident

Patrolman Otto Motz was shot and killed by a prisoner inside the 37th Precinct station house (present-day 28th Precinct). Patrolman Motz was in the station house with a suspect he had arrested. He removed his coat and handed his revolver to another officer and entered the cell area to attend to his prisoner, who was being seen by a doctor. While in the cell area, another officer brought in a prisoner who was crazed. Patrolman Motz finished with his prisoner and was exiting the cell area. The officer that was holding his revolver began to hand it back to him, when the second prisoner jumped up, took hold of the gun, put it to the head of Patrolman Motz and fired. After killing Patrolman Motz, the prisoner attempted to open fire, but the revolver failed to fire. Officers ran from all over the station house to the cell area, where it took seven officers to subdue the suspect. The 31-year-old suspect was adjudged insane and committed at the Mattaewan Asylum for the criminally insane. On August 23, 1933, police in Jersey City arrested a man for creating a disturbance in the Holland Tunnel. In his pocket was a key to a safety deposit box at a bank in Orange, New Jersey. The box contained $12,000 in cash; a large amount at any given time but especially in the middle of a depression. The man would not identify himself or say how or where he got the money. His fingerprints revealed he was the man who killed Patrolman Motz. There was no record of his release or an escape from Mattaewan Asylum. Officials at Mattaewan were asked to explain but there is no more information that can be found. Patrolman Motz was assigned to the 38th Precinct, the present day 32nd Precinct. His wife and daughter survived him.

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Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Motz served with the New York City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Motz.

— 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 January 19, 1922

Badge Number 5110

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Otto 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 1922, 228 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 3rd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month

By day of the week

III

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