Patrolman William O'Malley was shot and killed after responding to an armed robbery at the First National Bank of East Chicago.

   The robbery was being committed by three members of the Dillinger Gang. As the offenders were leaving the bank, shots were exchanged with officers by the suspects using Thompson submachine guns before they fled the scene with $20,376.

   Despite being mortally wounded, allegedly by John Dillinger, Patrolman O'Malley returned fire multiple times. Dillinger was uninjured as he was wearing a bullet-resistant vest. This was the first bank robbery committed by the Dillinger Gang in which a law enforcement officer was killed.

   One of the responding officers was Patrolman Francis Lloyd Mulvihill who was killed in the line of duty four months later by members of the Dillinger Gang.

   John Dillinger, 30 and John 'Red' Hamilton, 34, were both indicted for first-degree murder in perpetration of a robbery on January 26, 1934. Hamilton was shot during a gunbattle with police in Hastings, Minnesota on April 23 and died three days later.

   Dillinger was captured in Tucson, Arizona on January 25 and extradited to Indiana where he would later make his infamous escape from the Lake County Jail on March 3. He was killed by federal agents on July 22 in Chicago and although never convicted, this was the only murder charge ever filed against Dillinger. 

   Patrolman O'Malley was survived by his wife and three daughters.

Historical Notes • The Dillinger Gang were involved in the line of duty deaths of five Indiana officers: Indiana State Trooper Eugene Orville Teague – December 20, 1933 East Chicago Patrolman Francis Lloyd Mulvihill – May 24, 1934 East Chicago Patrolman Martin John O'Brien – May 24, 1934 South Bend Patrolman Howard C. Wagner – June 30, 1934

Read more on our research of The Dillinger Gang and its Leader, John Dillinger, in our News Release.