Joseph L. O'Neil
Agency patch
Patrolman

Joseph L. O'Neil

Buffalo Police Department — Buffalo, NY
Felonious
End of Watch October 7, 1970
Age 56
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Badge 999
The Vigil Panel 107 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Joseph O'Neil was shot and killed while transporting a prisoner to Meyer Memorial Hospital. The subject had walked into the Precinct 3 station house earlier in the day and was charged under the state's mental hygiene law to be admitted to a hospital. As Patrolman O'Neil and two other officers approached the emergency room door the man grabbed one of the officers' service revolvers from its holster and began running. He then turned and opened fire, fatally wounding Patrolman O'Neil. One of the other officers returned fire and killed the subject. Patrolman O'Neil had served with the Buffalo Police Department for 26 years and was assigned to Precinct 3.

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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

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

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Buffalo, Erie County, NY
Platform Identity bpd.erie.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 7, 1970
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Age 56
Badge Number 999
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Joseph 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.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1970, 138 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 29th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Joseph was 56. 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. Joseph 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

October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

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

Buffalo Police Department has 51 officers remembered here, Joseph among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrolman Joseph L. O'Neil

Buffalo Police Department · End of Watch October 7, 1970

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 23-E

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