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Abraham Bird
Agency patch
Substitute Patrolman

Abraham Bird

Cincinnati Police Department — Cincinnati, OH
Felonious
United States flag Ohio flag
End of Watch September 2, 1874
Age 49
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
The Vigil Panel 4 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 105

Incident

Patrolman Abraham Bird was shot and killed when he attempted to remove a subject from the vestibule of the Jockleys Circus. The Patrolman was called to the incident by the manager of the circus due to the man's threats toward a performer, who was his wife. After finding the subject, Patrolman Bird and another officer tried to escort him out when the subject pulled away, took a pistol from his right rear pants pocket, and fired at them. Neither officer was armed (firearms would not be approved for another 14 years), and both turned away from the shot. The bullet went through Patrolman Bird’s left arm and into his chest, through both lungs and the aorta at the top of his heart. The subject then kicked the other officer three or four times in the back and ran out. A groom came out of the stable and immediately went to Officer Bird and found him already dead. The suspect was found and arrested by several officers nearby. On April 2, 1875, he was convicted of murder in the second degree and given a Life sentence. Patrolman Bird had served with the Cincinnati Police Department for seven years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

152 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Substitute Patrolman Bird gave the Cincinnati Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cincinnati community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— 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 September 2, 1874
Tour of Duty 7 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Abraham 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.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1874, 34 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 151st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Abraham was 49. 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. Abraham had served 7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

September holds 9.1% 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

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

Across the years

Substitute Patrolman Abraham Bird

Cincinnati Police Department · End of Watch September 2, 1874

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 44-W

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