Patrolman Joseph P. Reilly

Joseph P. Reilly

Patrolman Reilly was shot and killed while on duty.

Patrolman Reilly entered the service of the City of New York as a Patrolman in the Aqueduct Police Force, whose responsibility was to protect and guard the building of a water supply from the Catskill Mountains to the City of New York. He was in this service from 1910 to 1915. He was then appointed Prison Keeper in the Department of Corrections, City of New York, and served at the New York City Reformatory at New Hampton Farms, at the Harts Island Reformatory and other prisons. On March 16th, 1920, he was appointed to the position of Patrolman in the New York City Police Department and continued in such capacity until he died in Bellevue Hospital on February 16th, 1923 after being shot accidentally on the morning of February 13th, 1923.

Another officer was turning the hand crank to start his patrol car when he accidentally hit his revolver causing it to dislodge from its holster. When the revolver hit the ground it discharged killing Patrolman Reilly.

Patrolman Reilly was assigned to the 21st Precinct. Reilly was survived by his wife and four young children. H