Daniel Sheehan
Agency patch
Sergeant

Daniel Sheehan

Joplin Police Department — Joplin, MO
Felonious
End of Watch July 19, 1885
Age 56
Tour of Duty 8 yrs
The Vigil Panel 8 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Daniel Sheehan was shot and killed as he attempted to arrest a man who was wanted for selling liquor without a license. He saw the wanted man come out of the Post Office at the intersection of Second Street and Main Street. Sergeant Sheehan had been told not to arrest the man alone because the man had previously threatened to kill him. After seeing him, Sergeant Sheehan summoned the city marshal and a sheriff's deputy to the intersection to formulate a plan after the man walked into a store at the intersection. When the officers attempted to arrest the man, the subject produced a pistol and shot Sergeant Sheehan. An angry mob of citizens captured the suspect and lynched him. Sergeant Sheehan had served with the Joplin Police Department for eight years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-45FD0643
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

141 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Sergeant Sheehan gave the Joplin Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Joplin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Joplin, Jasper County, MO
Platform Identity jpd.jasper.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 19, 1885
Tour of Duty 8 yrs
Age 56
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Sergeant Daniel Sheehan is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 63.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Joplin Police Department, 17 of 21 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 81% of this agency's fallen.

Joplin Police Department
17
of 21 officers
81% Felonious
MO — Statewide
516
of 813 officers
63.5% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Daniel Sheehan's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Daniel Sheehan Compares

Age at Death
56
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
8
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Daniel Sheehan is highlighted in Jul.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Daniel Sheehan was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location