Thomas M. Dwyer

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

Felonious

End of Watch October 21, 1904

Age 34

The Vigil Panel 19 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 175

Incident

Detectives Thomas Dwyer, John Shea, and James McCluskey were shot and killed while attempting to arrest two armed robbery suspects wanted for robbing an Illinois Central train. After several months of investigation, the detectives received a tip from a prison guard that he thought three ex-cons were responsible for the robbery. Five detectives went to arrest the ex-cons in a house on Pine Street where the Soldier's Memorial is currently located. As they approached, they encountered one of the ex-cons and took him into custody. Two of the detectives took this suspect to the station as the other three proceeded into the home. As the detectives entered a darkened room, they were ambushed by the other two ex-cons. Following a five-minutes shootout, the detectives and both ex-cons were fatally wounded. The ex-con who was apprehended was sentenced to 27 years in prison. On November 24, 1905, he helped stage a prison revolt in which Officers John Clay and Ephriam Allison, of the Missouri Department of Corrections, were killed. He along with two other inmates were convicted of murder and hanged on June 27, 1907.

Survivors

Detective Dwyer was survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-72883652
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Dwyer served with the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Dwyer.

— 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 October 21, 1904

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Two shot and killed

Detective Thomas M. Dwyer 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