John H. F. Cordes (August 9, 1890 – April 19, 1966) was a

detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...

in the

New York Police Department The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the City of New York, the largest and one of the oldest in ...

, once described by New York mayor

Jimmy Walker James John Walker (June 19, 1881November 18, 1946), known colloquially as Beau James, was mayor of New York City from 1926 to 1932. A flamboyant politician, he was a liberal Democrat and part of the powerful Tammany Hall machine. He was forced t ...

as "the city's best cop". He is the only detective to have been awarded the department's

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. ...

twice. Cordes was first awarded the medal in 1923 after coming across a

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

cigar store robbery in progress. As a result of his involvement, Cordes suffered five

gunshot A gunshot is a single discharge of a gun, typically a man-portable firearm, producing a visible flash, a powerful and loud shockwave and often chemical gunshot residue. The term can also refer to a ballistic wound caused by such a discharg ...

wounds, three of which came from another policeman for unknown reasons. His second Medal of Honor was awarded in 1927 for his work in solving the kidnapping of real estate tycoon Abraham Scharlin. Cordes retired in 1949. Part of his career is described in the book "NYPD: Stories of Survival from the World's Toughest Beat".

References

Further reading