On a stormy Tuesday night in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 8, 1911, veteran Police Officer Cornelius O'Keefe's watch was nearing its end. At 42 years old, the patrolman with 12 years of dedicated service to the St. Louis Police Department was just five minutes from the end of his shift. His final call to duty that evening was the pursuit of a man wanted for assault.
The search led Officer O'Keefe to a candy store on Olive Street.
Inside the dimly lit shop, he encountered a man who would tragically cut his life short. A struggle ensued, and the man shot Officer O'Keefe in the chest. The loud clap of thunder from the storm overhead masked the sound of the gunshot, and it was a grim 15 minutes before his fellow officers found him.
Following the shooting, an investigation was launched. The man originally sought for assault quickly became the prime suspect in Officer O'Keefe's murder and was subsequently apprehended. Officer O'Keefe was a respected and brave member of the force, known for his daring feats, including once disarming a gunman by distracting him with a dance. His untimely death marked a somber day for the city and the police department he had served for over a decade.
