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John H. Grogan
Agency patch
Police Officer

John H. Grogan

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department — St. Louis, MO
Felonious
United States flag Missouri flag
End of Watch July 3, 1925
Age 49
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
The Vigil Panel 114 · Column 2 · Line 10 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 175

Incident

Police Officer John Grogan was shot and killed after responding to a robbery call at 1531 Washington Avenue. As he arrived on the scene the five robbers were attempting to flee and opened fire on him, striking him in the heart. When a bystander came to his aid he was also shot and killed. The five juvenile suspects fled the scene but were apprehended a short time later. Four, ages 16 to 20, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life. One escaped from prison in 1933 and was never captured. Two others escaped from prison in October of 1936. A year later they were captured in Cleveland, Ohio, after committing several bank robberies there. A few days later they escaped from the Cleveland Jail. One was quickly recaptured. The other was recaptured in Philadelphia in a stolen car two months later. Both received 65 year terms in Leavenworth. One, paroled in 1956, was shot and killed a few days later by St. Louis Police as he was commiting an armed robbery. The fourth suspect was paroled in 1939.

Survivors

Officer Grogan had been with the agency for 22 years and was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

22 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Grogan gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Grogan.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
Type Police Department
Location St. Louis, City of Saint Louis, MO
Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 3, 1925
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1925, 208 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 11th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 49. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. John had served 22 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer John H. Grogan

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch July 3, 1925

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 30-W

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