David J. Sheehan
Agency patch
Detective

David J. Sheehan

McAlester Police Department — McAlester, OK
Accident
End of Watch July 30, 1981
Age 28
Tour of Duty 3 yrs 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 124 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Detective David Sheehan, Corporal Ronnie Fox, and Narcotics Agent Billy Morgan were killed when their plane crashed into Jack Fork Mountain in southeastern Oklahoma. The officers were searching for marijuana fields at the time. Detective Sheehan had served with the McAlester Police Department for 3 1/2 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-OK-CF472765
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Sheehan gave the McAlester Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the McAlester community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Sheehan.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location McAlester, Pittsburg County, OK
Platform Identity mpd.pittsburg.ok.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 30, 1981
Tour of Duty 3 yrs 6 mo
Age 28
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Detective David J. Sheehan is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In OK, 135 of 582 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.2% of this state's fallen. That is 23.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At McAlester Police Department, 3 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

McAlester Police Department
3
of 7 officers
42.9% Accident
OK — Statewide
135
of 582 officers
23.2% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David J. Sheehan's cause is highlighted.

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

How David J. Sheehan Compares

Age at Death
28
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
3.5
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. David J. Sheehan is highlighted in Jul.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location