St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Monday, October 10, 1904
Age:
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: September 5, 1904
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Not available
Police Officer Frank Ahern was accidentally shot and killed with his own weapon while using a patrol call box at Euclid and Fountain in the Tenth District.
He threw his night stick over his shoulder, which struck the hammer on his gun and caused it to discharge, striking him in the leg. He was expected to make a recovery but blood poisoning set in. He was advised that he would have to have his leg amputated in order to save his life. Officer Ahern refused the amputation and as a result died from the wound 35 days after the incident.
Officer Ahern had been with the agency for five years and was survived by his wife.