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Police Officer

John William Snow

Newark Police Division — Newark, NJ

Felonious

End of Watch August 13, 1976

Age 53

Tour of Duty 23 yrs

Badge 838

The Vigil Panel 117 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 57

Incident

Police Officer John Snow was shot and killed while working an extra duty assignment at a local check cashing store. He was transporting money from the bank, in uniform and in his patrol car, when two men attempted to rob him as he arrived at the check cashing store. As they tried to take the money one 37-year-old suspect shot him in the head. The two suspects and two other men, who planed the robbery, were apprehended by FBI agents, three in New York City and one in Denver, Colorado. All four ranged in age from 23 to 37. The 37-year-old was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. The other three, who testified against him, were convicted of robbery and only served a few years in prison. The suspected killer always maintained it was his 23-year-old companion and not him who killed Officer Snow. He found compelling evidence that surfaced after his conviction as well as evidence the prosecution withheld. In July of 1989 his information made it to the desk of a Federal Judge who had him immediately released. For the next eight years the Hudson County Prosecutors office tried in vain to have him sent back to prison. In 1998 he was charged a second time with Officer Snow's murder. On July 27, 1998, a jury acquitted him. He died of a heart attack in 2002. Officer Snow had served with the Newark Police Department for 23 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and two sons.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

23 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Snow gave the Newark Police Division 23 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Newark community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Snow.

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

Agency

Department Newark Police Division

Type Police Department

Location Newark, Essex County, NJ

Platform Identity npd.essex.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 13, 1976

Tour of Duty 23 yrs

Age 53

Badge Number 838

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John 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.

Compare against

Time

In 1976, 137 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 30th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

John was 53. 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. John had served 23 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

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 gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded