Suffolk County police honor Deputy Inspector George McMullen’s 1969 death

A fatal plane crash in the woods of South Setauket drew Deputy Inspector George McMullen into rough, hilly terrain on April 24, 1969, and the 45-year-old Suffolk County commander died later that day of a heart attack after the response.

McMullen had served in law enforcement for 22 years and was the commanding officer of the Suffolk County Sixth Precinct. He was on duty when he answered the crash scene, pushed through the wooded ground to reach the downed plane, climbed a large hill and then complained of chest pains before going home, where he suffered the fatal heart attack. He was survived by his wife, two sons and two daughters.

Suffolk County police and the Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association have continued to mark the anniversary of his death, preserving his name inside the department’s remembrance of fallen officers. In a tribute posted for the April 24 anniversary, the PBA said, “On April 24th, we honored the life and memory of Suffolk County Deputy Inspector George McMullen who was taken from us on that day in 1969. Inspector McMullen was on duty when he responded to the scene of a fatal plane crash in a wooded area of South Setauket.”

That annual recognition keeps McMullen’s story alive for newer generations who may not know his name, but still live with the legacy of the men and women who answered emergencies across Suffolk County long before modern policing tools and emergency medicine. His death also underscores a hard truth that remains relevant in police work: duty can turn physically deadly even without a direct attack, and the strain of urgent response can linger long after the call ends.

McMullen is listed among the Suffolk County PBA’s fallen members, and the Officer Down Memorial Page records his end of watch as April 24, 1969. Fifty-seven years later, his death remains part of the department’s public memory and part of South Setauket’s history, a reminder of the cost carried by officers who never made it home.