James Donegan

James A. Donegan followed his brothers into the United States Navy and saw action aboard the aircraft carrier Randolph. He joined the New York City Police Department in November 1950 and became a detective with the 12th Detective District in Brooklyn, carrying shield 1338. He was a great sports fan.

On the night of 15 October 1964 a minister called the 71st Precinct about a man who had assaulted his wife and threatened to kill her. The man, Donald B. Guyette, was a 35-year-old former convict who collected guns. Detective Donegan and Detective Salvatore Potenza went to the apartment where he was staying at 1632 Hendrickson Street in Flatlands to talk with him about the dispute. Shortly after midnight, when they knocked, Guyette fired through the door. Both detectives were mortally wounded. They fired six shots back and died at the scene. Guyette took their revolvers, went to his wife's home, telephoned his son and the minister, and then shot himself with one of the detectives' guns.

Detective Donegan was 38. After a Mass at St. Ephrem's Church in Brooklyn on 20 October 1964 he was buried in St. John's Cemetery in Queens. He was survived by his father, two brothers and a sister.

Detective James Donegan and Detective Salvatore Potenza were shot and killed after going to a home to investigate a complaint. Detective Potenza and Detective Donegan received a complaint that a man had assaulted his wife and threatened to kill her. They were told that the man was an ex-convict and a former mental patient. The detectives went to an apartment at 1632 Hendrickson Street, Brooklyn, where the suspect was staying. When the detectives knocked on the door, the suspect opened fire through the door with a rifle. Both Detective Potenza and Detective Donegan were fatally wounded. The detectives were able to return fire before they fell but did not strike the suspect. The suspect then stole the detective's service weapons and fled to his wife's house. Once there, he told her what he had done and then shot and killed himself with one of the stolen guns. Detective Donegan was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the New York City Police Department for 14 years, assigned to the 71st Precinct Detective Squad.