Kenneth William Sheehan

Died

:

8 April 1977

Age

:

19

Rank

:

Constable

Force

:

Royal Ulster Constabulary

Cause

:

Homicide - Shot

Duty Status

:

On Duty

Roll of Honour Citation

Fatally shot, alongside a colleague by terrorists in a car they had stopped while on mobile patrol.

Constable Sheehan and Constable John Thompson McCracken were on mobile on the Moneymore Rd at Gortagilly accompanied by two other Constables when they decided to check a suspicious car.

As Constables Sheehan and McCracken approached this vehicle, the occupants opened fire with high velocity weapons at close range killing both men.

A third Constable, although wounded, returned fire and the terrorists panicked and drove off getting bogged down in a ditch. They then run off into the fields. The Constable who returned fire was later awarded the George Medal.

Kenneth had previously been wounded in May 1976 on foot patrol with R/Constable Linda Baggley who was shot and murdered at Chapel Road.