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Detective

John J. Carey

New York City Police Department — New York, NY
Felonious
United States flag New York flag
End of Watch November 3, 1892
Age 42
The Vigil Panel 11 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 1,221

Incident

John J. Carey kept a livery stable in Southold, Long Island, before he joined the New York City police on 12 April 1881. He served at the Church Street station in lower Manhattan and in the 16th and 19th Precincts, and on 25 May 1892 he was transferred to the Central Office as a detective. His best-remembered work was the arrest and conviction of the robber known as Liverpool Jack.

He had arrested a thief named James De Blanche, who also went by David Wheeler, several times. On the night of 3 November 1892 he and his partner, Detective Sergeant George Doran, spotted De Blanche at West 29th Street and Seventh Avenue and followed him to a saloon. Carey covered the front door. When De Blanche came out he had a cocked revolver in his hand and shot Carey in the abdomen. Carey still caught him by the collar, and Doran and other officers overpowered De Blanche and took him into custody. Detective Carey died of the wound. He was 42.

He left his wife, Bridget, and five children, Lucy, John, Benjamin, Eugene and Helen, the youngest seven months old. The family lived on West 77th Street. After services at home he was carried back to Southold for his police funeral and was buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery there.

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Tributes

134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Detective Carey served with the New York Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

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

Service Record

End of Watch November 3, 1892
Age 42
Gender Male
Assignment Central Office

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1892, 81 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 82nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 42. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

New York City Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Detective John J. Carey

New York City Police Department · End of Watch November 3, 1892

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 35-E

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