St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri
End of Watch: Friday, February 26, 1937
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: 18 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 25, 1937
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Both shot and killed
Detective Sergeant Thomas Sullivan was shot and killed while he and his partner investigated a rash of robberies in the area of Pine and Olive Streets.
Although their shift had finished the two detectives continued their investigation and had gone to a local hotel at 3222 Olive Street to ask the clerk if he had seen anyone fitting the descriptions of the two suspects. The clerk took the detectives to a room where two such men were staying.
The men in the room cracked the door open, slammed it, and then began shooting through it. The detectives returned fire and then kicked the door in. One of the suspects was killed and Detective Sergeant Sullivan was mortally wounded. The second suspect fled but was shot and killed by other officers as he attempted to escape in a stolen car. Detective Sergeant Sullivan had been shot five times and succumbed to the wounds the following day.
The two suspects were escapees from Michigan and had committed approximately 15 robberies.
Detective Sergeant Sullivan was a U.S. Army veteran and had been with the agency for 18 years. He was survived by his wife and three children. Two of his children followed in his footsteps and became St. Louis police officers.