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Today we remember Thomas Francis “Mongo” McMahon
From the Richmond Police Department:
Today we remember Richmond Police Officer Thomas Francis “Mongo” McMahon.
Officer McMahon made the ultimate sacrifice on Oct. 14, 1998.
Officer McMahon was shot and killed after a vehicle was chased into Richmond from an adjoining jurisdiction. An officer from the Henrico County Police Department attempted to stop the suspect on I-95 after reports that he was driving erratically. The suspect then led the officer on a slow speed chase through a shopping center and fired several shots at the officer.
Richmond Police joined the chase and were able to stop the truck. The suspect then opened fire from inside his truck, striking Officer McMahon in the upper body, abdomen, and arm. Although he was wearing a Kevlar vest, the fatal shot struck him in the femoral artery, causing him to bleed to death. Officer McMahon had not yet exited his vehicle before being shot.
The suspect then held other officers at bay for several hours before opening fire on them again. Officers returned fire, fatally wounding the suspect.
Officer McMahon had been with the department for 20 years. He was survived by his fiancée
Read more: http://www.odmp.org/officer/15161-police-officer-thomas-francis-mongo-mcmahon#ixzz3G7nwI7Ol
TAGGED: Thomas Francis “Mongo” McMahon
I won’t forget it, either. From the early morning phone call about it to the sunset memorial in the park.And the funeral procession that went on forever.
I started the police academy on 11/2/1998 right after “Mongo” was killed. His death brought the reality of the job home to those of us in the academy. We heard numerous stories about the kind of cop he was. Those of us in the 80th basic police academy have strived to serve the community the way he did. He will not be forgotten and his legacy lives on….
@#3:
Lt. Dan,
Your service to our Community, and that of your Officers pays rich tribute to Mongo’s legacy. May every Officer’s “watch” end with safe return home to comrades and family. I, and my neighbors Thank You for every sacrifice and courageous act that Duty brings.
That was such a sad day. The chase ended at the end of our alley; we were aroused from sleep by what sounded like canon fire. It was a day before we knew that Mongo had lost his life trying to protect us from some crazy person with a firearm.
Like so many of the officers that patrol our community, I didn’t know Mongo personally. But, through his service, he contributed greatly to our personal safety.
Mongo gave his life so we could sleep peacefully in our homes at night. God bless Mongo’s soul and bless all the men and women who serve in the Richmond Police Department.
Thank you for your thoughtful tribute and words, Elaine.
Thank you all for posting the memories of my
Uncle, my family and I appreciate seeing people remember after 16 years. Thank you all!
Mongo’s sense of humor and his commitment to our neighborhood was something I’ll always remember. It saddens me to this day that he’s no longer with us. From that early morning phone call to the funeral procession winding its way through Church Hill, showed just how much Mongo was loved and respected. His house used to be on the Tacky Light tour at Christmas, it was larger than life just like him. Thank you for remembering him in this article.
I would like to thank everyone for remembering my brother on the 16th anniversary of his passing.
I would like to make one correction to the article: Tom was survived by his mother, father, brother and two nieces. There was no fiancee at that point in his life.
Hello,
A friend asked me to see if I could locate Thomas’s grave site while I visited Hollywood cemetery tomorrow.
They served together on the force way back when n every time we talk about his days in Richmond he mentions Thomas.
He is NOT forgotten.
If you happen to read this I will be there on Sunday Oct 19th n if you email me I will email you my phone number.
We would like to visit his resting place, I know it would mean a lot to his comrade Danny.
Thank you so much,
Gina
I can’t remember the plot number. If the office is open, someone should be able to look it up and give you the directions on the cemetery map.
I believe you can also access their (improved) homepage and search burial records for their cemetery section/lot number.
THOMAS FRANCIS MCMAHON
Born: 07/08/1952 Died: 10/14/1998
Date Of Burial : 10/17/1998
Section: 38 Lot: 118 A
Here’s the map, though I can’t see how it lines up:
http://www.hollywoodcemetery.org/pdf/HollywoodCemetery-NotableGraveSitesJune2011-21.pdf