Officer John O'Sullivan was sitting in his patrol car writing reports when he was shot and killed.

At approximately 10:00 am on December 12, 1978, Officer O'Sullivan was sitting in his patrol car writing reports at 68th and Myrtle when a man pulled up along side him and after a short conversation shot him in the left chest with the bullet passing through his lung and severing both the pulmonary and aorta arteries. He died at the scene. A telephone company workman was nearby, witnessed the incident and radioed for help on the patrol car's radio.

Lawrence Thomas, 29, was arrested and charged with the murder of Officer O'Sullivan. Officer O'Sullivan had testified against Thomas in a 1977 drug trial for possession of PCP several weeks prior to the shooting and had answered disturbance calls at Thomas' house twice in the week before the shooting. The suspect was tried for murder, convicted and sentenced to life without the opportunity for parole for 50 years. He has since been released from prison.

Officer O'Sullivan was born in Ireland, and became a United States citizen in 1971, the same year he joined the Kansas City Police Department. He was survived by his wife and two daughters, aged 5 and 3. Interred: Mt. Moriah, Kansas City, MO.

Article by Brent Marchant