In the autumn of 1902, a 33-year-old St. Louis police officer named Michael Reedy lost his life in a tragic turn of events while in the line of duty. On the evening of October 26th, the sounds of a burglary in progress at a pharmacy located at 10th and Cass Avenue pierced the night. A clerk inside the pharmacy, attempting to defend the premises, began firing at the individuals breaking in.
Officer Reedy, hearing the commotion and the gunshots, rushed towards the scene to intervene.
In the chaos and darkness, he unknowingly ran into the path of the gunfire. A bullet fired by the clerk, intended for the burglars, struck Officer Reedy in the chest, lodging in one of his lungs.
Mortally wounded, Officer Reedy was transported to the City Hospital. Despite the efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries two days later, on the evening of October 28, 1902. Before he passed, in a final act of grace, Officer Reedy provided a statement exonerating the pharmacy clerk of any malicious intent, understanding that his death was a tragic accident. Having served on the police force for six years, he was survived by his sister. Officer Michael Reedy was laid to rest in the Calvary Cemetery and Mausoleum in St. Louis.
