Police Officer Thomas P. Mulrooney

Thomas P. Mulrooney

Police Officer Thomas Mulrooney succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained one month earlier when he interrupted a robbery in progress at a local tavern at the intersection of Ninth Street and Mullanphy Street.

He and his partner noticed a car with an open door in-front of the tavern. The officers closed the door and then went inside to tell the owner. As they entered two suspects were in the process of robbing the place and yelled at the officers to stop. Officer Mulrooney ran at the suspect as he opened his raincoat to get his revolver.

During the ensuing the struggle the suspect's shotgun discharged, striking Officer Mulrooney in the upper thigh. Both suspects fled but were later apprehended. Officer Mulrooney struggled for his life for over one month before contracting blood poisoning, causing his death.

Both suspects, 20 and 22, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life. One was paroled in 1974. On December 2, 1974, he was shot and killed by a customer as he and another man were attempting to rob a St. Louis restaurant.

Officer Mulrooney was a WWI veteran and had been with the agency for 36 years. He was survived by his wife and children.