END OF WATCH: December 18, 1937 Cleveland Police Department Age: 36 On Saturday, December 18, 1937, at 11:00 pm, Patrolmen Gerald Bode and Virgil Bayne were shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire at Mullen’s Service Gas Station, 8609 Buckeye Road. Patrolmen observed five suspects acting suspicious and attempted to question them. Patrolman BayneRead More

END OF WATCH: January 4, 1938 Cleveland Police Department Age: 38 On January 7, 1931, Officers John J. Cleary, and James Ryan were working a plain clothes detail and were detailed to investigate a robbery at 2211 Franklin Avenue in Cleveland. Cleary and Ryan located one of the suspects in room 309 of the AlfredRead More

END OF WATCH: May 30, 1938 Cleveland Police Department Age: 29 Patrolman Raymond H. Griffin was killed off duty in an apparent robbery on Monday, May 30, 1938, at about 3:15 a.m. He completed his last tour of duty on Saturday, May 28, 1938. Patrolman Griffin came from a large family. He was the youngestRead More

END OF WATCH: July 8, 1938 Cleveland Police Department Age: 42 Appointed in 1920, Patrolman Robert Wehagen was an 18 year veteran of the Cleveland Police Department. Wehagen spent seven years his career in the detective bureau. July 8, 1938, Matthew Bubich, a 48 year old psychopathic patient, escaped from the Elmwood Sanitarium. Bubich escapedRead More

END OF WATCH: July 20, 1938 Cleveland Police Department Age: 55 Patrolman Louis Mlakar was best known as the traffic policeman in front of City Hall. He made many acquaintances while directing downtown. At the time of his death the 24 year veteran assigned to the Fifth District Emergency Wagon. On July 19, 1938, MlakarRead More

END OF WATCH: January 13, 1939 Cleveland Police Department Patrolman James Goggin was a nineteen year veteran of the Cleveland Police Department joining in 1920. For several years he was assigned to the Eleventh Precinct at East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue as a scout car driver. James Goggin was the fifty-eighth officer to dieRead More

END OF WATCH: March 31, 1939 Solon Police Department Age: 42 On March 31, 1939 at 3:20 am, Marshal Otto Jirecek of the Solon Police Department, burned to death in his police car. At 11:00 p.m., Marshal Jirecek and Deputy Charles Linert came on duty. Marshal Jirecek being on call for twenty-four hours stopped theRead More

END OF WATCH: June 6, 1939 Cleveland Police Department Age: 36 Clarence Smith was born to Antonette Vohnautek of Vienna, Austria and Joseph Smith of Cleveland on November 3, 1903. He was raised in Cleveland, married Laura Palus, and was appointed to the Police Department in November of 1930. He died in the line ofRead More

END OF WATCH: May 31, 1940 Cleveland Police Department Age: 56 Officer Otto Ziska joined the Cleveland Police Department on August 16, 1918 and was assigned to the 5th Precinct. He had previously served with the city park police force. On October 1, 1922 he was reassigned to 5th Emergency Squad. On May 15, 1929Read More