McLean, VA (December 10, 2024) - Boston Patrolman James O’Leary was working a security detail at the local theater when he heard the loud cries for help from a liquor store owner who had just been beaten and robbed at gunpoint. The 16-year police veteran leaped into action. He commandeered a passing car and order the driver to chase down the fleeing robber. When he got close, Patrolman O’Leary jumped out and yelled, “I’m a policeman! Stop!” The armed robber turned and fired two shots, mortally wounding Patrolman O’Leary in the stomach and chest. He was survived by his wife, Catherine, two daughters—Mitzie, 17 years of age, and Pat, 16—and a son, Jimmy, who was just six years old when his father was killed. Nearly three decades after his father’s death, Jimmy O’Leary became one of the leaders of the East Coast Memorial Run, which raised $60,000 to help build the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial that now bears his father’s name. Listen to the podcast to learn more.
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