Retired St. Paul officer who died nearly 15 years after assault laid to rest Monday
Retired St. Paul Police Officer Felicia Reilly was laid to rest on Monday. She received a law enforcement funeral service with full honors and a procession.
According to the St. Paul Police Officers Retirement Association, Reilly died at age 67 from injuries she received in 2010 when she was badly beaten and suffered a brain injury. She served with the St. Paul Police Department for 17 years.
The service for Reilly can be viewed below.
Reilly is remembered for her compassion and dedication to her work. The department says she was an inspiration to many throughout her career. She was also the first female civilian jailer in Dakota County.
Reilly was also a wife, mother to eight children and a grandmother.
If her injuries did contribute to her death, the St. Paul Police Officers Retirement Association says Reilly would be the first female St. Paul officer to die from injuries received on the job. She served with SPPD from 1996 to 2013.
St. Paul Police Chief Axel Henry and Mayor Melvin Carter both spoke at the funeral.
Chief Henry issued the following statement early Monday on Reilly’s death:
“Today, St. Paul Police officer Felicia Reilly will receive the full honors she deserves with a line of duty death funeral, given how she was viciously assaulted in 2010 and for her bravery over the last 15 years fighting the injuries that ultimately led to her tragic death on March 1, 2025.
We’ve learned the double jeopardy clause of the U.S. Constitution prevents us from amending and upgrading the charges against her attacker. While we can’t go back and prevent this tragedy, what we can do now is show our respect and appreciation for Officer Reilly and her family’s struggle. Heroes and their sacrifices should never be forgotten.
Officer Reilly is one of those heroes and we will never allow her courage and sacrifice to be forgotten.”