Constable P. Joseph Deeghan

P. Joseph Deeghan

Constable Joseph Deeghan was shot and killed as he and two other officers attempted to arrest a suspect for making threats against citizens.

When the constables approached the suspect's home, he greeted them cordially and requested that they come in to read the arrest warrant to him. The light in the room was intentionally dim, and, as the constable struggled to read the warrant by the fire light, the suspect's wife feigned hysteria and left the room. She secreted two revolvers on her person and passed one to her husband when she returned. The couple then opened fire on the constables, striking Constable Deeghan three times and wounding the other two constables.

The suspects fled the home after the shooting. The female suspect was captured only days after the incident, but the male suspect managed to escape the posse sent to capture him.

Constable Deeghan had served with the Clinton County Sheriff's Office for two years. He was survived by his mother, sister, and six brothers.