Henry DeKeersgieter

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department — St. Louis, MO

Felonious

End of Watch March 22, 1936

Age 53

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

The Vigil Panel 71 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 175

Incident

Police Officer Henry DeKeersgieter succumbed to a stab wound received nine days earlier after arresting a man for auto theft. He had observed the man attempting to steal the car on LaSalle Street and took him into custody. He walked the suspect to a call box at Grattan and Chouteau. As he called the incident in the man suddenly produced a razor and cut Officer DeKeersgieter's neck before fleeing. Officer DeKeersgieter was able to shoot twice at the suspect before collapsing. Officer DeKeersgieter was treated at a hospital and released after four days. However, as a result of the wound he contracted septic pneumonia and died at his home. The suspect was apprehended three days after the attack in Memphis,Tennessee, and charged with murder. The suspect, 20, in and out of prison and reformatory schools since he was 12, was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill and sentenced to 20 years. The murder charge was dismissed because it could not be determined if the razor attack actually caused his death. He was paroled at some point after 1940. On June 12, 1952, he and five other men were arrested in St. Louis for several burglaries and cracking several safes. Officer DeKeersgieter had been with the agency for 18 years and was survived by his wife and two children. His wife was a professional swimmer. In August of 1938 she became one of a very few people who ever swam the Mississippi River from Alton, Illinois, to St. Lewis, a distance of 23 miles.

Survivors

Officer DeKeersgieter had been with the agency for 18 years and was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-2F6FA06D
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.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Henry. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer DeKeersgieter gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer DeKeersgieter.

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

Agency

Department St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

Location St. Louis, MO

Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 22, 1936

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Age 53

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Razor

Offender Sentenced to 20 years

Police Officer Henry DeKeersgieter is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 112 of 176 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.6% of this agency's fallen.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

112

of 176 officers

63.6% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious