On the night of July 12, 1907, Constable Thomas J. O'Sullivan, a 30-year-old white male, was fatally shot while performing his duties in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He had been alerted by fellow Constable John O'Brien about two suspicious individuals near the Pittsburgh, Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad station around 10:25 PM. The two constables decided to investigate the situation together.
Upon arrival, they observed one of the men acting as a lookout while the other attempted to break into the railroad office by opening a window. The constables confronted and arrested the individual trying to enter the office. Constable O'Sullivan began escorting the suspect to jail, while Constable O'Brien pursued the lookout.
As Constable O'Sullivan and the suspect walked through an alley, the suspect suddenly drew a revolver and shot O'Sullivan twice, resulting in his immediate death. Hearing the gunshots, Constable O'Brien rushed to the scene and engaged in a struggle with the assailant. During the altercation, O'Brien was shot three times, including once in the head. Both suspects managed to flee the scene, and it remains unclear if they were ever apprehended.
Constable O'Brien was transported to a hospital in Braddock Borough. His condition deteriorated over time, and it is believed that he succumbed to his injuries in October 1907, though this has not been definitively confirmed.
Constable Thomas J. O'Sullivan served as the elected constable of the Third Ward in Braddock Borough. In addition to this role, he held commissions as a police officer for Braddock Borough and as a detective for the Pittsburgh, Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. He was married to Margaret Tanney. His father, Timothy O'Sullivan, hailed from Ireland, and his mother, Catherine Nicholson, was of Irish descent from Scotland. Constable O'Sullivan was laid to rest in Monongahela Cemetery in North Braddock, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
