Officer John Flaherty succumbed to injuries received six weeks earlier when he fell down a flight of stairs.

On October 4, 1923, Officer Flaherty was on patrol, walking up the stairs to a home of William Keilly, at 3969 Ashland Street when he slipped and fell. He suffered a fractured left leg in the fall, which resulted in severe medical complications and finally a pulmonary embolism. Officer Flaherty died from his injuries at City Hospital on November 13, 1923 .

Officer Flaherty had been with the agency for 32 years, joining on June 30, 1891. He was survived by his wife, Mary, and three children. Interred: Calvary Cemetery.