New York City Police riot

New York City Police riot of 1857
Part of the History of the New York City Police Department and History of New York City (1855–1897)
New York City Municipal and Metropolitan policemen riot and fight each other in front of New York City Hall in 1857
Date June 16, 1857 Location New York City, New York, United States Result Riot crushed
Casualties and losses
53 injured

The New York City Police Riot of 1857, known at the time as the Great Police Riot, was a conflict which occurred in front of New York City Hall between the recently-dissolved New York Municipal Police and the newly-formed Metropolitan Police on June 16, 1857. Arising over New York City Mayor Fernando Wood's appointment of Charles Devlin over Daniel Conover for the position of city street commissioner, amid rumors that Devlin purchased the office for $50,000 from Wood, Municipal police battled Metropolitan officers attempting to arrest Mayor Wood.

Two arrest warrants had been issued against the mayor following an altercation between him and Conover when arriving at City Hall to assume his office. The situation was resolved only with the intervention of the New York State Militia under Major General Charles W. Sandford.