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John J. Shea
Agency patch
Detective

John J. Shea

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department — St. Louis, MO
Felonious
United States flag Missouri flag
End of Watch October 21, 1904
The Vigil Panel 19 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 175

Incident

Detective Shea, Detective Thomas, and Detective 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-inmates were responsible for the robbery. Five detectives went to arrest the suspects in a house on Pine Street where the Soldier's Memorial is currently located. As they approached they encountered one of the suspects 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 suspects. Following a five-minutes shootout the detectives and both suspects were fatally wounded. The suspect who was apprehended was sentenced to 27 years in prison. On November 24, 1905, he helped stage a prison revolt in which Officer John Clay and Officer 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.

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August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Shea 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 Shea.

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

Agency

Department St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
Type Police Department
Location St. Louis, City of Saint Louis, MO
Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 21, 1904
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

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.

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Compare against
I

Time

In 1904, 83 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 78th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

When

October holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
III

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
IV

His people

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years

Detective John J. Shea

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch October 21, 1904

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 42-W

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