New Orleans Police Department, Louisiana
End of Watch: Tuesday, February 26, 1974
Age: 35
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: 1427
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 26, 1974
Weapon Used: Handgun; .38 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Patrolman Dennis McInerney was shot and killed, and his partner was wounded as they responded to a disturbance During the Mardi Gras carnival on the fringe of the French Quarter.
A 19-year-old youth was threatening a family with a gun and had shot their 13-year-old little boy. As Officer Dennis McInerney and his partner arrived on North Rampart Street, they were met with gunfire before they could exit their vehicle. Patrolman McInerney and his partner returned fire, hitting the suspect in the leg. The suspect was apprehended at the scene.
The family's son was transported to a hospital, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to his foot and released. The New Orleans Police Chief said the suspect being recently paroled was a big mistake because of his extensive juvenile record. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. In 1977, his sentence was commuted to life. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 5 to 4 decision that states could not make the death sentence mandatory for persons convicted of killing police officers.
Patrolman McInerney was a United States Army veteran and had served with the New Orleans Police Department for seven years. He was survived by his wife and two children.