Patrolman John J. Rhatigan

John J. Rhatigan

Patrolman John Rhatigan succumbed to injuries sustained two days earlier when he was thrown from his horse while patrolling Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn.

He suffered a skull fracture when he was thrown against a tree at the intersection of Ocean Parkway and Webster Avenue. He was taken to Kings County Hospital where he remained until succumbing to his injuries.

The horse he was riding was considered a "bad" horse and had previously thrown and injured two other officers. One week after Patrolman Rhatigan's death the horse dragged a police lieutenant for one mile, causing severe injuries.

Patrolman Rhatigan was a U.S. Army veteran and one of the Rough Riders in the Spanish-American War. He had served with the NYPD for four years. He was survived by his wife and four children.