Roll of Honor
Kenneth Joseph McCoy
Incident
Detective Kenneth McCoy was shot and killed in crossfire during a shootout with several suspects. He and several other officers were conducting a stakeout of a tavern in the 1800 block of Lynch Avenue that was reportedly going to be robbed. While watching the tavern, local neighborhood kids told one of the officers there was a group of men with guns nearby. The four officers then went to the tavern owner's home, thinking that the robbery was going to occur there. Detective McCoy changed clothes with the tavern owner and then went to the driveway and pretended to examine a car. The group of men approached, and shots were exchanged. During the ensuing shootout, one of the suspects was killed, and Detective McCoy was struck by a round fired by another officer with a gun he had loaned him. Detective McCoy was a United States Vietnam War veteran and had served with the East St. Louis Police Department for four years.
Survivors
He was survived by his expectant wife, son, and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-F7A71566- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 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.
Detective McCoy gave the East St. Louis Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the East St. Louis 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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Kenneth Joseph McCoy served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Detective Kenneth Joseph McCoy is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At East St. Louis Police Department, 4 of 22 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 18.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Kenneth Joseph McCoy's cause is highlighted.
How Kenneth Joseph McCoy Compares
Offender Outcome
robbery
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Kenneth Joseph McCoy is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
21 officers from East St. Louis Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
