Patrolman

John W. Skinner

Felonious
End of Watch June 16, 1868
Age 25
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
The Vigil Panel 3 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Skinner was shot and killed by a drunk man whom he had ordered to leave the Fourteenth Street Depot. As the man began to leave Patrolman Skinner and his partner followed him. They got part way down the tracks when the man suddenly stopped. When Patrolman Skinner tapped him on the shoulder and told him again to leave the suspect turned and fired a handgun, fatally wounding Patrolman Skinner. The suspect was apprehended at the scene and claimed that, because he was drunk, he did not know the two were police officers. Patrolman Skinner had been with the agency for two years.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

158 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Patrolman Skinner gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

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

Service Record

End of Watch June 16, 1868
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Age 25
Gender Male

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.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1868, 20 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 161st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 25. 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. John had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

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

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

Across the years

Patrolman John W. Skinner

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch June 16, 1868

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 2-E

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