John McDonough
Agency patch
Police Officer

John McDonough

New Orleans Police Department — New Orleans, LA
Felonious
End of Watch February 5, 1877
The Vigil Panel 5 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer John McDonough succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained the previous day when he was shot inside the Central Police Station, which was located at the corner of South Basin Street and Commons Street, by his nephew whom he had just arrested.

Officer McDonough and another officer arrested his nephew and the nephew's friend for being drunk and disorderly. Both officers had just placed the men inside a jail cell when the nephew retrieved a small handgun that was concealed in his boot and fired through the jail bars, striking Officer McDonough in the stomach. Officer McDonough was taken to his home where he succumbed to his wound the following day.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-LA-E0DF8A11
Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

149 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Police Officer McDonough served with the New Orleans Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the New Orleans community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location New Orleans, Orleans Parish, LA
Platform Identity nopd.orleans.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 5, 1877
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

Police Officer John McDonough 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 LA, 364 of 595 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.2% of this state's fallen. That is 61.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At New Orleans Police Department, 86 of 128 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 67.2% of this agency's fallen.

New Orleans Police Department
86
of 128 officers
67.2% Felonious
LA — Statewide
364
of 595 officers
61.2% 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. John McDonough's cause is highlighted.

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

How John McDonough Compares

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John McDonough is highlighted in Feb.

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. John McDonough was killed by handgun.

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

Incident Location