Jeremiah Joseph O'Connor

Lawrence Police Department — Lawrence, MA

Cardiac

End of Watch November 14, 1950

Age 61

Tour of Duty 32 yrs

The Vigil Panel 86 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 4

Incident

Patrolman Jeremiah O'Connor suffered a fatal heart attack following a foot pursuit of a drunk man in the area of Franklin Street and Common Street.

The drunk mand had broken the door of a laundromat after having an argument with the proprietor. Patrolman O'Connor found the man in a nearby bar on Franklin Street and arrested him. As he walked him to a call box on Common Street the man broke free and fled on foot. Patrolman O'Connor chased him down and took him into custody again.

He walked him back to the call box but began to suffer chest pains. He then walked into another laundromat to rest but suddenly collapsed. A passerby used the call box to alert the desk sergeant that Patrolman O'Connor collapsed. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The man he had arrested was charged with being drunk in public.

Patrolman O'Connor had served with the Lawrence Police Department for 32 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two 10 children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-69683E1A
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

32 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman O'Connor gave the Lawrence Police Department 32 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Lawrence community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman O'Connor.

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

Agency

Department Lawrence Police Department

Location Lawrence, MA

Platform Identity lawrpd.essex.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 14, 1950

Tour of Duty 32 yrs

Age 61

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Cause Detail Heart attack

Weapon Person

Patrolman Jeremiah Joseph O'Connor is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MA, 44 of 469 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 9.4% of this state's fallen. That is 5.4 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At Lawrence Police Department, 1 of 5 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 20% of this agency's fallen.

Lawrence Police Department

of 5 officers

20% Cardiac

MA — Statewide

of 469 officers

9.4% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac