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Sonny Lee Kim
Agency patch
Police Officer

Sonny Lee Kim

Cincinnati Police Department — Cincinnati, OH
Felonious
United States flag Ohio flag
End of Watch June 19, 2015
Age 48
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
The Vigil Panel 164 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 105

Incident

Police Officer Sonny Kim was shot and killed after responding to a 911 call at a home near the intersection of Roe Street, and Whetsel Avenue at approximately 9:30 am. The caller stated a man was walking on the sidewalk at that location with a gun in his waistband and acting belligerent.

Officer Kim was the first officer to arrive at the location and was approached by the subject, who made the 911 call. The man immediately opened fire on Officer Kim, wounding him. He then struggled with Officer Kim and disarmed him.

The man then used Officer Kim's gun to shoot at a Hamilton County probation officer and a second Cincinnati police officer who responded to the scene. The second officer returned fire, fatally wounding the subject. Responding officers performed CPR on Officer Kim until medics arrived and transported him to the hospital. He succumbed to his wounds a short time later.

It was later determined that the subject had intended to commit suicide by cop.

Officer Kim had served with the Cincinnati Police Department for 27 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and three sons.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

27 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Kim gave the Cincinnati Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Cincinnati community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Kim.

— 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 June 19, 2015
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Age 48
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Sonny 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.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 2015, 60 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 126th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Sonny was 48. 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. Sonny had served 27 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

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 handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Sonny Lee Kim

Cincinnati Police Department · End of Watch June 19, 2015

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 51-E

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