END OF WATCH:  December 8, 1975 Cleveland Police Department Age: 56 Throughout his career Captain Jerome C. Poelking learned many facets of the Department which made him a great asset serving the citizens of Cleveland. He joined the Division of Police on May 1, 1942. After completing the police academy he was assigned to theRead More

END OF WATCH:  November 10, 1975 Bedford Heights Police Department Sergeant William A. Prochazka was shot and killed about 1:30 p.m. when he surprised three men attempting to rob the Blonder Company store across from Southgate Shopping Center. Officer Prochazka and his partner, Detective James Toth, were cruising near the Center, when Prochazka advised heRead More

END OF WATCH:  September 2, 1976 Cleveland Police Department On August 14, 1976, Patrolman John Reese was assigned to basic patrol in the Sixth District and was working zone car 613 with Patrolman Stanley Koblinski. At 12:21 am, officers were dispatched to 10127 South Boulevard regarding a male threatening with a gun. Upon arriving, theRead More

END OF WATCH:  October 5, 1976 Garfield Heights Police Department Age: 45 | Badge# 13 Hubert Smykowski, Sr. was a police officer in Garfield Heights until he died in action on October 5, 1976. “Bert,” as everyone called him, was appointed to the Garfield Heights Police Department on July 16, 1962. At 6:00 am, SmykowskiRead More

END OF WATCH:  December 31, 1976 Willowick Police Department Age: 53 On December 31, 1976, while directing New Year’s Eve church service traffic, Captain Maxin was struck and killed by an auto in front of St. Mary Magdalene Church in Willowick. After questioning the driver of the car, Willowick Police did not hold him. CaptainRead More

END OF WATCH:  December 10, 1977 Lodi Police Department Age: 31 Captain Summers was appointed to the police force on January 4, 1970. On December 5, 1977, at 3:15 am, Captain Carl Summers and Patrolman Steve Gray, in two separate cruisers, pulled over an allegedly stolen pickup truck on Avon Lake Road, just north ofRead More

END OF WATCH:  October 29, 1978 Vermillion Police Department Age: 24 Patrolman Smolka, along with two fellow officers, answered a disturbance call which involved a scuffle with a man who resisted arrest and had to be restrained, requiring great physical force and exertion. Upon returning to the station, Patrolman Smolka collapsed. Three of Smolka’s fellowRead More

END OF WATCH:  April 27, 1979 Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Age: 55 Robert White was known as a man of many attributes: a devoted husband, father and public servant. Following his honorable discharge from three years duty in the United States Navy, he began his career in law enforcement with the Cleveland PoliceRead More

END OF WATCH: June 4, 1979 Cleveland Police Department On Tuesday, June 4, 1979, Patrolman John Hubbell attended roll call with his partner, Thomas Smyczek. Upon reviewing the roll call materials, they noticed a report on a suspect who was wanted for a robbery that occurred the previous Sunday. Since the suspect lived in theirRead More

END OF WATCH: July 3, 1979 Lorain County Sheriff’s Office Age: 24 July 3, 1979, Deputy Tomazewski pulled over a 15 year-old for a traffic violation. The youth advised he did not have his driver’s license with him and asked the Deputy to follow him home to get it. The officer followed the youth toRead More