Anchorage Police Department, Alaska
End of Watch: Thursday, January 3, 1924
Age: 43
Tour of Duty: 8 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: January 2, 1924
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Chief Kavanaugh was shot and killed while he and another officer were serving a warrant on a man who had been terrorizing his neighbors during a drunk rampage. As Chief Kavanaugh entered the man's cabin he saw the man standing there with a shotgun. He ran from the cabin and was approximately 100 yards away when the man fired two shots, striking him in the back. Chief Kavanaugh succumbed to his wounds approximately 16 hours later. The suspect was shot and killed by the other officer on the scene.
Chief Kavanaugh had been with the agency for eight months.