Mounted Patrolman Charles G. Peterson, aged 38, of the Cincinnati Police Department, was shot and killed on May 23, 1908, while responding to a fire call at 2161 Queen City Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio. Peterson, a United States Navy Spanish-American War veteran, had served with the Cincinnati Police Department for nine years. He was survived by his wife and three sons.
The incident occurred when an emotionally disturbed man, Rosso Levato, set fire to his apartment in an attempt to kill
himself and then armed himself with a shotgun. A bystander who tried to help was shot by Levato. Despite being warned that the subject was armed and had already killed a citizen, Patrolman Peterson attempted to enter the building to arrest the man. Levato fatally shot Peterson as he reached the top of the stairs.
Rosso Levato, a 42-year-old Italian immigrant described as a half-crazy recluse, had a history of erratic behavior and threats of violence. On May 21, 1908, he had returned to his apartment after being hospitalized for a few nights and claimed that others were out to get him. On the day of the incident, Levato became extremely agitated, armed himself with a sawed-off shotgun, and went through the building ransacking apartments. He then spread coal oil throughout the second-floor hallway and set it ablaze. Levato waited at the top of the stairs with the shotgun.
There were no arrests or litigations directly related to Peterson's death, as Levato died in the fire he set. The case did not lead to any further investigations or legal proceedings.
Peterson is buried in Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati, Ohio. His ultimate sacrifice is honored by the Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation.
