Thomas Joseph Sheehan
Agency patch
Patrolman

Thomas Joseph Sheehan

Veteran → Cardiac
End of Watch January 16, 1953
Age 29
Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo
Badge 7547
The Vigil Panel 88 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Thomas Sheehan suffered a fatal heart attack after a foot chase of a burglar at a hotel in the 400 block of West 22nd Street in Manhattan. At 3:00 am, Patrolman Sheehan and his partner responded to a burglar call at the hotel. Due to the elevator being used, both Patrolmen ran up six flights of steps to the roof. They caught sight of the burglar and pursued him to the hotel's roof, and lost him. Both Patrolmen returned to their patrol car, where Officer Sheehan complain of chest pains and being unable to breathe. His partner took him to the hospital, where he suffered a fatal heart attack. Patrolman Sheehan was a WWII veteran and had served with the New York City Police Department for two and a half years, assigned to the 10th Precinct.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-D597E4EA
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Sheehan gave the New York City Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location New York, NY
Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 16, 1953
Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo
Age 29
Badge Number 7547
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

Thomas Joseph Sheehan served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Thomas Joseph Sheehan is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In NY, 99 of 2,147 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 4.6% of this state's fallen. That is 4.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At New York City Police Department, 44 of 1237 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 3.6% of this agency's fallen.

New York City Police Department
44
of 1,237 officers
3.6% Cardiac
NY — Statewide
99
of 2,147 officers
4.6% Cardiac
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Cardiac

National Cause Distribution

How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas Joseph Sheehan's cause is highlighted.

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

How Thomas Joseph Sheehan Compares

Age at Death
29
This officer
Avg for Cardiac: 48.6 years
Years of Service
2.5
This officer
Avg for Cardiac: 15.6 years

When Cardiac Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Joseph Sheehan is highlighted in Jan.

Jan
124
Feb
105
Mar
99
Apr
116
May
115
Jun
95
Jul
94
Aug
104
Sep
109
Oct
121
Nov
113
Dec
111

Incident Location

Military Service

Thomas Joseph Sheehan served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.

Visit Thomas Joseph Sheehan’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.