Officer Cornelius O'Keefe was shot and killed while searching for an assault suspect, Remus Hawshaw, at 10:55 pm, five minutes before he was to be relieved from duty.

During his search, he encountered a man inside Chorous Candy Store at 1308 Olive Street. The man shot Officer O'Keefe in the chest, just above his heart. Due to thunderstorms, no other officers heard the shot and they did not find Officer O'Keefe in the rear of the store for 15 minutes. He was taken to City Hospital where he was pronounced dead a few hours later. During the ensuing investigation, Remus Hawshaw was arrested and determined to be the prime suspect in Officer O'Keefe's murder. Officer O'Keefe was known to be looking to arrest Hawshaw, and his alibi proved to be false, and he had been seen in the area by a witness.

Officer O'Keefe had been wounded in the line of duty on several occasions prior to his death and his exploits were widely known throughout the department. Officer O'Keefe, born in Ireland, had been with the department for 12 years. He was survived by his father, John O'Keefe. Interred: Calvary Cemetery, St Louis, MO.