In the early hours of a morning in Kansas City, Missouri, Patrolman William P. Mulvihill, a 28-year-old male officer, lost his life under circumstances that are recounted with some variation. On March 22, 1905, Mulvihill was part of a plainclothes operation aimed at capturing a thief who had been preying on individuals in the city.
According to one account, Patrolman Mulvihill and his partner were approached by a man who then attempted to rob his partner.
A struggle ensued, and in the chaos, Patrolman Mulvihill's own service weapon accidentally discharged, inflicting a fatal wound. This version of events indicates that the suspect was apprehended later that same night and subsequently charged with murder.
Another detailed report of the incident offers a different perspective on the tragedy. In this telling, officers had located a suspect in an alley and were in the process of taking him into custody. Patrolman Mulvihill, hearing the commotion, responded to the location to provide assistance. As he arrived, a revolver fell from the holster of another officer, probationary police Officer George Bryant Jr. When the firearm struck the ground, it discharged, and the bullet struck Mulvihill in the head, causing a mortal injury.
Despite the differing accounts of the precise cause of the fatal gunshot, it is consistently reported as an accidental death in the line of duty. At the time of the incident, a suspect was being apprehended in connection with the initial robbery investigation.
