East St. Louis Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, June 7, 1973
Age: 27
Tour of Duty: 4 years
Badge Number: 62
Cause of Death: Gunfire (Inadvertent)
Date of Incident: June 7, 1973
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Detective Kenneth McCoy was shot and killed in crossfire during a shootout with several suspects.
He and several other officers were conducting a stakeout of a tavern in the 1800 block of Lynch Avenue that was reportedly going to be robbed. While watching the tavern, local neighborhood kids told one of the officers there was a group of men with guns nearby. The four officers then went to the tavern owner's home, thinking that the robbery was going to occur there.
Detective McCoy changed clothes with the tavern owner and then went to the driveway and pretended to examine a car. The group of men approached, and shots were exchanged. During the ensuing shootout, one of the suspects was killed, and Detective McCoy was struck by a round fired by another officer with a gun he had loaned him.
Detective McCoy was a United States Vietnam War veteran and had served with the East St. Louis Police Department for four years. He was survived by his expectant wife, son, and daughter.