Appointed – May 1, 1905
End of Watch – February 1, 1931
Officer Harry McGraw was shot and killed on February 1, 1931 during a robbery at the Loring Park Pharmacy at 1500 Hennepin Avenue. Officer McGraw had been assigned on hazardous duty to the store after a series of robberies in the area. A suspect entered the pharmacy, pulled his gun and ordered the clerk to hand over the money. Officer McGraw emerged from the back he and the suspect exchanged shots at a close range and both were fatally wounded.
Officer McGraw was 49 years old. He had been with the Minneapolis Police Department for 26 years and was due to retire on May 1.
Officer McGraw and his wife lived at 3812 2nd Avenue South. They had one daughter who died in infancy.
Funeral services for Officer McGraw were held on Wednesday, February 4, 1931 at the Church of the Incarnation. His fellow officers formed a guard of honor at the services. Officer McGraw’s body was taken to his boyhood home of Greenleaf near Litchfield for burial.
Officer McGraw’s death increased pressure on the city to provide bulletproof vests for officers assigned to hazardous duty.