The Ultimate Sacrifice
Routine patrol duties are never 'routine.' Danger can be found in every aspect of a Trooper's job, from a traffic stop along the side of a highway to a manhunt for a serial killer. State Troopers PBA members risk their lives every day while serving and protecting you. Many have made the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of their duties. Below is a list of New York State Troopers who have been killed in the line of duty, along with links to web sites that honor fallen law enforcement officers.
1920s
JAMES A SKIFF
(5/25/1920) of injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident
WILLIAM H CURLEY
(10/2/1922) from injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident
HAROLD C. MATTICE
(4/28/1923) shot in the chest with a 12-gauge shotgun
ROY A DONIVAN
(10/8/1923) after being shot while he and a fellow Trooper confronted highway robbers
THEODORE DOBBS
(9/29/1924) from injuries and complications from a motorcycle accident
ALEXANDER E BOEHM
(11/13/1924) after injuries and complications after a horse-related injury
JAMES D LOSCO
(7/7/1925) in a motorcycle accident.
PHILLIP E GONTERMAN
(9/25/1925) in a motorcycle accident.
ANDREW J. LAWRENCE
(9/17/1926) a motorcycle accident
CHARLES M. McGINN
(6/20/1927) a motorcycle accident
HARRY J. WHEELER
(7/15/1927) in a motorcycle accident
WALTER CROASDALE
(8/22/1927) an auto accident
ARNOLD T. RASMUSSEN
(9/8/1927) after being shot in the head along with Trooper Roy.
ROBERT ROY
(9/8/1927) of a gunshot wound to the head while attempting to serve a petit larceny warrant with Tpr. Rasmussen.
ERNEST M. SIMPSON
(12/1/1927) in an auto accident.
JOHN J. LANE
(5/13/1928) when he fell backward over a stairway railing.
EDWARD F. DOLPHIN
(8/6/1928) in motorcycle accident
1930s
JOHN J. CAHILL
(2/23/1930) in a motorcycle accident
EDWARD J. SWEENEY
(5/17/1930) in a motorcycle accident.
JOHN L. FURLONG
(3/31/1930) in an automobile accident
LEROY J. BAKER
(8/24/1930) when he was electrocuted at an accident scene.
JAMES M. MACLARNON
(1/19/1931) in a pedestrian/auto accident.
JOHN E. FREY
(3/18/1931) after being shot through the Heart while transporting prisoners.
GARLAND BLAIR
(10/21/1931) in an auto accident.
MARTIN E. RYAN
(11/26/1931) after an auto accident.
THEOPHILUS GAINES
(1/15/1932) in an SP airplane crash
TREMAIN M. HUGHES
(1/15/1932) in the SP airplane crash with Cpl. Gaines.
RAYMOND J. CHIPPENDALE
(8/12/1932) when his motorcycle collided head-on with an automobile.
VINCENT A. DUNN
(9/30/1932) after an auto accident.
WALTER A. PURCELL
(3/31/1933) in an auto accident
HOMER J. HARRISON
(6/19/1933) when he drowned.
JEROME B. NUGENT
(10/14/1933) from motorcycle accident injuries.
RAYMOND A. PLUNKETT
(1/6/1934) after an auto accident.
GEORGE J. VAN ANTWERP
(8/24/1934) after a motorcycle accident.
EDWARD L. CUNNINGHAM
(10/10/1934) in an auto accident
THOMAS C. LYNES
(6/3/1935) in an auto accident.
JOHN G. LORD
(7/23/1935) in an auto accident
ANTHONY F. LAURENCE
(7/27/1935) after a motorcycle accident
CLARK I. LEWIS
(1/19/1936) in an auto accident
STANLEY C. GREENE
(3/2/1936) of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident.
KENNETH N. DEVITT
(2/19/1937) from leg injury complications sustained in a motorcycle accident.
GERARD B. KANE
(11/15/1937) in the same auto accident As Trooper Reddy.
ARTHUR A. REDDY
(11/15/1937) in an auto accident
JOSEPH L. FITZPATRICK
(11/17/1937) in an auto accident while looking for jail escapees.
MARTIN J. KERINS
(8/23/1938) of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident
WILLIAM T. GRAYDON
(9/19/1938) in an auto accident
WILLIAM F. DOBBS JR.
(9/24/1939) after a motorcycle accident.
1940s
ROBERT A. MOORE
(7/29/1941) in a motorcycle accident
EARL. R. WILKINSON
(5/24/1942) during WWII in a military aircraft accident.
PETER J. FORMOSA
(1/13/1943) in a military auto accident
RICHARD L. HEDGES
(7/11/1943) in a motorcycle accident
MILTON (WM. C.) RATNER
(7/11/1943) during WWII in a military accident
JAMES R. GOHERTY
(12/29/1943) in a motorcycle accident
BRYANT F. STICKLES
(9/11/1944) killed by enemy gunfire while serving in the military during WWII.
WILLIAM O. JOHNSON
(4/12/1945) by a Kamikaze Pilot while serving in the US Navy during WWII.
CHARLES E. HOVER
(6/5/1945) in an airplane crash while serving in the US Navy during WWII.
KENNETH B. KNAPP
(7/17/1945) of a shotgun wound to the head after responding to a domestic complaint.
ROBERT V. CONKLIN
(7/4/1948) in a motorcycle accident
1950s
HAROLD F. MYERS
(12/19/1950) in an auto accident
ARTHUR M. DIFFENDALE
(6/14/1951) when shot in the chest while stopping a suspected stolen vehicle.
HARRY ADAMS
(9/1/1951) after being struck by an auto
PATRICK F. O’HARA
(2/22/1952) of an accidental gunshot wound to the chest after assisting in the capture of three escapees.
ARTHUR L. LACROIX
(7/4/1954) while assisting at an accident scene
GERALD T. McHUGH
(5/25/1956) in an auto accident
RONALD J. DONAHUE
(5/23/1959) when his service revolver was taken from him while attempting to make an arrest and was then shot to death.
1960s
DONALD A. STRAND
(9/28/1960) from injuries in an auto accident
SALVATORE J. EMBARRATO
(7/6/1961) (Tarrytown) in an automobile accident while pursuing a speeding vehicle.
STANLEY BUNNER
(6/30/1965) of internal injuries after an auto accident
CHARES “BUD” S. DORRIAN
(9/19/1965) in a motorcycle accident.
JAMES D. CONRAD
(11/11/1966) in an auto accident
RICHARD A. PALLAS, JR.
(8/31/1967) from injuries in an auto accident
CHARLES W. PERKINS
(10/26/1967) from internal injuries from an auto accident while pursuing an escapee from A mental institution suspected of larceny.
WILLIAM G. DOYLE
(12/14/1967) of three bullet wounds to the head fired by escapees from the Marcy State Hospital in Utica, New York.
1970s
RICHARD T. JUNA
(2/8/1970) in an auto accident
JOHN G. GEORGE
(3/1/1970) when asphyxiated by carbon monoxide while parked at a gas station observing traffic.
RICHARD L. WELTZ
(3/17/1970) in an auto accident
SAMUEL N. ROWE
(5/1/1970) in an auto accident
JOHN F. COTTER
(11/21/1970) from injuries received in an auto accident.
ROBERT M. SEMROV
(1/27/1973) of gunshot wounds While making a vehicle and traffic stop.
BRUCE B. McCULLY
(9/30/1973) after seizing hypodermic needles and syringes from an informant who had contracted serum hepatitis.
LESLIE S. GROSSO
(5/21/1974) of a gunshot wound to the chest when he was accidentally shot during a drug arrest.
RAY C. DODGE
(7/2/1974) after being shot in the chest with a shotgun while investigating a property line dispute.
EMERSON J.“JIM” DILLON
(10/24/1974) after being shot while checking a suspicious vehicle.
WILLIAM V. McDONAGH
(12/14/1975) of gunshot wounds
GERALD A. DEGROOT
(6/24/1978) in an auto accident
RICHARD M RELYEA
(7/11/1978) Tpr. Relyea was killed instantly by a lightning strike. He and other members of the 479th Engineering Battalion, Massena Army Reserve Unit, Company B were on maneuvers during field training
when the storm struck. Tpr. Relyea was a Korean War veteran and a 20-year Trooper, last assigned to SP Canton, at the time of his death.
1980s
ROBERT J. GAYLO
(5/13/1980) in an auto accident
JAMES A KELLY, JR.
(8/8/1980) in an auto accident
ROBERT L. VANHALL, JR.
(12/5/1980) from gunshot wounds inflicted while attempting a narcotics arrest.
THOMAS L. BUCK
(3/19/1981) after he contracted serum hepatitis by puncturing his finger with an infected hypodermic needle as a result of an arrest for possession of same.
THOMAS L. PRYME
(7/24/1982) of internal injuries from an auto accident.
GARY E. KUBASIAK
(8/30/1982) from gunshot wounds to the chest fired by a former mental patient.
BRIAN N. ROVNAK
(2/2/1983) of multiple injuries from an auto accident.
DAVID M. CORBINE
(5/23/1983) after he suffered Cardiac arrest while operating his troop car.
PAUL ASHBURN
(7/27/1983) of multiple injuries when a Tractor trailer struck him.
RICHARD B. SNYDER
(9/20/1984) after he was shot during an undercover operation.
WILLIAM A. BAKER
(11/19/1985) in an auto accident on the Thruway
HECTOR M. ORTEGA
(11/19/1985) in the same accident as Tpr. Baker.
THOMAS F. HUDSON
(11/26/1985) when a tractor-trailer smashed into the rear of his troop car.
ARTHUR A SCARAFILE
(5/8/1986) of multiple injuries in an auto accident.
ROBERT G. DUNNING
(6/14/1987) when shot after responding to a complaint of a neighbor being threatened with a gun.
ALVIN P. KURDYS
(9/15/1987) of multiple injuries when struck by a speeding auto while working a radar detail.
THOMAS J. CONSORTE
(11/23/1987) was struck by an automobile while investigating an auto accident
1990s
JOSEPH T. AVERSA
(3/5/1990) DETF died when he was fatally shot during a narcotics buy/bust operation in NYC.
RICKY J. PARISIAN
(5/20/1994) SIU White Plains died after being fatally shot while attempting to stop an armed robbery at a supermarket.
NATHANIEL BURROUGHS
(2/14/1997) after being struck by a tractor trailer while investigating an auto accident during hazardous winter weather conditions.
FABIO BUTTITTA
(8/24/1997) after a car crash in which a car driven by an impaired driver struck his car head-on as he was driving home after a tour of duty
2000s
TRUSCOTT M. KELLY (MIKE)
(5/31/2000) when a tractor-trailer hit the troop car he and Trooper Poormon were in while chasing an uninvolved violator
KENNETH A. POORMON
(5/31/2000) in a car accident with Trooper Kelly
LAWRENCE P. GLEASON
(2/11/2002) after being shot by a suspect while taking a domestic incident report.
ROBERT W. AMBROSE
(12/19/2002) when his troop car exploded after being rear-ended by a sport utility vehicle driven by an alcohol-impaired individual
JEFFRY T. EDELSON
(11/23/2003) in an automobile accident while pursuing a violator.
THOMAS M O´NEILL
(7/6/2005) from a heart attack following a struggle with a suspect.
ANDREW J. SPERR
(3/1/2006) after being shot by a suspect who had robbed a bank
CRAIG J TODESCHINI
(4/23/2006) from injuries sustained when his patrol car struck a tree during the pursuit of a speeding motorcycle.
JOHN J MCKENNA IV
(8/16/2006) was shot and killed by enemy fire while serving in Iraq as a Captain with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
JOSEPH A LONGOBARDO
(9/3/2006) from injuries from being shot on 8/31/06 during a manhunt for an escaped convict and suspected Trooper-shooter
JOSE A ROSADO
(1/24/2007) in a car crash on an icy road.
DAVID C BRINKERHOFF
(4/25/2007) from a gunshot wound sustained during the search of a home for a man suspected of shooting a Trooper
SHAWN W SNOW
(8/3/2008) due to electrocution while helping change a tire on a fire truck
DAVID J LANE
(11/4/2009) in a car crash
JILL E MATTICE
(1/20/2010) in a car crash