Officers Who Have Fallen in the Line of Duty

1854-04-27 Bebe Cyrus

Patrolman Cyrus Beebe

Entered Division of Police

Date Unknown

Died In the Line of Duty

April 27, 1854

The first officer killed in the line of duty was Cyrus Beebe. On April 27, 1854, Beebe, whose date of entrance to the City Police is unknown, was working with Licking County Officers, who were looking for a William Jones, Alias William Morgan. Jones was wanted by Licking County for burglary and was reportedly hiding out at the Scioto Hotel, in Columbus. When the officers arrived at the hotel, Jones refused to surrender, and a gun battle ensued. Beebe was shot dead by Jones, who made his escape into the crowd.

City Council advertised a $500 reward for Jones, who was apprehended three years later in Wisconsin. His trial followed in the Court of Common Pleas. He was found guilty of murder in the second degree, and sentenced to life imprisonment.

1899-09-15 Kleeman Abe

Detective Abe Kleeman

Entered Division of Police

Date Unknown

Died In the Line of Duty

September 15, 1899

The second officer killed in the line of duty was Detective Abe Kleeman, whose date of entrance into the department is not listed in official records.

On September 10, 1899, Detective Kleeman and Detective George Gaston engaged in a shooting affray with Charles Dumont at Poplar and Harrison Avenues, and Dumont, with four bullets in his body, died during the battle.

Detective Kleeman, badly wounded, died September 15, and Detective Gaston, wounded in the forehead, carried the bullet from the gun battle to his grave.

1908-06-07 Davis Daniel

Patrolman Daniel Davis

Entered Division of Police

May 25, 1899

Died In the Line of Duty

June 7, 1908

Patrolman Daniel E. Davis, who entered the department in 1899, was the third officer killed while on duty.

As night headquarters man, he received a call that prowlers were burglarizing a home on East Broad Street. Responding to the summons, he was shot by one of the intruders and died in the patrol wagon en route to St. Francis Hospital.

Frank Caster, Flint, Michigan, one of the burglars who escaped by leaping from the roof of the home, injured his ankle and was captured by another policeman with Davis and was later convicted of murder. He was electrocuted in the Ohio Penitentiary.

1908-12-24 Campbell Harry E

Patrolman Harry E. Campbell

Entered Division of Police

September 27, 1906

Died In the Line of Duty

December 24, 1908

Patrolman Harry E. Campbell, who came into the department September 27, 1906, was the fourth patrolman slain in the line of duty. On December24, 1908, he was shot to death by Harry Hilliard on West Rich Street, about a block from the old city prison. Hilliard was later captured by police and sentenced to life in the Ohio Penitentiary. The sentence was later reduced and he was finally paroled.

1911-06-09 Ward Frank P

Patrolman Frank P. Ward

Entered Division of Police

May 8, 1911

Died In the Line of Duty

June 9, 1911

Patrolman Frank P. Ward came on the Police Force May 8, 1911 and just one month later on June 9, after being made a full fledged patrolman, was shot and killed by one Charles Glass on Lehman Street.

With another officer, Patrolman Ward had gone to the Glass home on a complaint of a fight in which Glass was threatening a relative with a shotgun. Glass shot Officer Ward in the head with a blast from the gun, and as the patrolman went down, he fired, wounding his murderer in the hip.

1913-03-25 Sexton William

Patrolman William Sexton

Entered Division of Police

May 1, 1905

Died In the Line of Duty

March 25, 1913

The sixth officer killed in the line of duty was William Sexton, who entered the Police Department as a patrolman May I, 1905, and who was later made Probation Officer. During the flood of 1913, on March 25, Officer Sexton was doing rescue work in the vicinity of Rich and Mitchell Street when he fell from the rowboat in which he was riding and was drowned. His body was recovered five days later.

1913-06-26 Lavender Joseph

Patrolman Joseph Lavender

Entered Division of Police

April 29, 1913

Died In the Line of Duty

June 26, 1913

Patrolman Joseph Lavender, eighth officer killed in the line of duty, entered the department April 29, 1913 and died June 26, 1913, two months later. He was struck from behind by a streetcar at Broad and Mitchell Streets and pushed in front of the car for 20 feet. He suffered a crushed chest and head injuries and died without regaining consciousness a few minutes after he was taken to Mt. Carmel Hospital.

1914-11-09 Ballard James

Patrolman James Ballard

Entered Division of Police

July 1, 1913

Died In the Line of Duty

November 9, 1914

Patrolman James Ballard came into the department July 1, 1913, and on November 9, 1914 was walking his beat when he discovered burglars had broken into Tom Hall's Restaurant at Oak Street and Parsons Avenue. When the burglars saw the officer, they opened fire and Ballard was wounded, dying an hour later. “Money Jim” Smith and his partner were captured 48 hours later and Smith was sentenced to the electric chair. The sentence was later commuted to life imprisonment.

1916-08-22 Laufhutte John

Patrolman John Laufhutte

Entered Division of Police

June 10, 1916

Died In the Line of Duty

August 22, 1916

Patrolman John Laufhutte came into the department June 10, 1916. On August 22, 1916, he stepped from a business place at Beck and High Streets and noticed two suspicious men in an auto parked at the curb. As he walked over to investigate, he was shot down by one of the men, the bullet striking the officer in the lung. He died 45 minutes later and no clues were ever found to identify his assailants.

1917-11-24 Rourke William

Detective William Rourke

Entered Division of Police

June 17, 1888

Died In the Line of Duty

November 24, 1917

Detective William Rourke became a member of the department June 17, 1888, and was killed November 24, 1917. Assigned to the pawnshop detail, he was making his rounds when one Will Wright walked into a pawnshop with a bundle under his arm, presumed to be stolen property. The detective identified himself and asked what was in the bundle, whereupon Wright whipped out a gun and shot the officer. Wright escaped but was later apprehended and sentenced to death in the electric chair in the Ohio Penitentiary.

1919-02-08 Jenkins David L

Patrolman David L. Jenkins

Entered Division of Police

May 17, 1917

Died In the Line of Duty

February 8, 1919

Patrolman David L. Jenkins was made an officer May 17, 1917. On February 8, 1919, he was walking his district beat on the south side when he was summoned to a residence on the report that a prowler was in the yard. Upon investigating the complaint, he encountered a man with a gun and was slain in the pistol duel which followed. The suspect was also wounded and died a short time later.

1920-09-23 Schneider Adolph G

Patrolman Adolph G. Schneider

Entered Division of Police

May 20, 1899

Died In the Line of Duty

September 23, 1920

Patrolman Adolph G. Schneider came into the department May 20, 1899, and was killed September 23, 1920. He was working out of headquarters with Patrolman Ed Nichols on night duty when they arrested William Adams, of Ironton. Schneider rode with Adams while Nichols followed in the police squad car. At Town and Front Streets, the prisoner drew a gun, and as Schneider grappled with him, the auto crashed into a streetcar. Schneider was thrown from the car and died several days later.

1920-10-28 Tiller Charles E

Detective Charles E. Tiller

Entered Division of Police

May 17, 1917

Died In the Line of Duty

October 28, 1920

Detective Charles E. Tiller became a policeman May 17, 1917. He was slain on October 28, 1920 when he accosted a suspected bootlegger in a saloon at Maple and Armstrong Street. As the man entered the place, Tiller asked to see the contents of a basket the man was carrying, and at that moment, the suspect drew a gun and pumped two shots into the officer’s body. Detective Tiller died in Protestant Hospital just as he was being placed on the operating table. His assailant fled after the shooting.

1921-02-26 Reall Jesse

Patrolman Jesse Reall

Entered Division of Police

October 9, 1918

Died In the Line of Duty

February 26, 1921

Patrolman Jesse Reall entered the department October 9, 1918, and was killed February 26, 1921. While working in plain clothes, he intercepted the delivery of a load of whiskey at 6th and Naghten Streets. One of the two men shot the officer to death. Police searched for “Pomp” Brooks as the slayer and the case attracted wide attention and led to sweeping reforms in the liquor racket in Columbus since two officers, Tiller and Reall had lost their lives within a few months of each other from the guns of bootleggers.

1922-11-28 Koehler Granston P

Patrolman Granston P. Koehler

Entered Division of Police

July 1, 1913

Died In the Line of Duty

November 28, 1922

Patrolman Granston P. Koehler, the 15th officer killed in the line of duty, came into the department July 1, 1913. On November 28, 1922, he was working on the north side with Patrolman Roscoe Friddle. At Goodale and High Streets, the officers spotted a parked auto and decided to investigate after they had received word that a band of Cleveland bank robbers were believed to be headed for Columbus. As Koehler placed his foot on the running board of the car, he was shot to death by the occupants, and Officer Friddle was wounded. Friddle managed to empty his revolver at the fleeing car before he collapsed. The car was later abandoned on West Broad Street and one of the men, Peter Long, was found dead in the auto. The remaining suspects were later captured in Madison County.

1924-04-22 Stewart Troy C

Patrolman Troy C. Stewart

Entered Division of Police

October 11, 1923

Died In the Line of Duty

April 22, 1924

Patrolman Troy C. Stewart was appointed October 11, 1923, and died April 22, 1924. While working in plain clothes assigned to the vice squad, he was shot in the legs and abdomen by one Charles Thomas at Lincoln and 4th Streets when he attempted to arrest Thomas after he and another man engaged in a gun battle. Thomas fired two shots which struck Patrolman Stewart and he died en route to White Cross Hospital.

1925-03-09 Shaffer Harry E

Patrolman Harry E. Shaffer

Entered Division of Police

July 1, 1920

Died In the Line of Duty

March 9, 1925

Patrolman Harry E. Shaffer was appointed July 1, 1920, and was killed March 9, 1925, while pursuing a suspected auto thief at midnight at Broad and Lazelle Streets. Patrolman Shaffer, on foot, was struck by an auto and died in Grant Hospital without regaining consciousness.

1925-05-29 Womeldorf Walter O

Detective Walter 0. Womeldorf

Entered Division of Police

July 1, 1920

Died In the Line of Duty

May 29, 1925

Detective Walter O. Womeldorf entered the department July 1, 1920, and was shot to death May 29, 1925. He was working with fellow officers and probation agents when bootleggers were apprehended in the vicinity of Mt. Vernon and Taylor Avenues. A shooting affray resulted and in the darkness, Detective Womeldorf was mistaken for one of the bootleggers and was shot and killed by one of this his own party.

1926-01-07 Sweinsberger William

Patrolman William Sweinsberger

Entered Division of Police

February 11, 1903

Died In the Line of Duty

January 7, 1926

Patrolman William Sweinsberger, who entered the department February 11, 1903, was working his district January 7, 1926. He had just left a patrol call box and started to cross the street at Livingston Avenue and 4th Street when he was struck and killed by an auto. The identity of the hit skip motorist was never learned.

1927-03-29 Elliott Horace E

Patrolman Horace D. Elliott

Entered Division of Police

July 13, 1923

Died In the Line of Duty

March 29, 1927

Patrolman Horace D. Elliott, who came into the department July 13, 1923, was the 20th officer killed in the line of duty. About 11 a.m. on March 29, 1927, he was riding his motorcycle at Sandusky and West Broad Streets when he skidded and crashed into a safety zone. He suffered a fractured skull and later died. Patrolman John Garner was also injured the same night when his motorcycle skidded and crashed as he went to summon aid for Patrolman Elliott.

1931-07-07 Day Thomas

Patrolman Thomas Day

Entered Division of Police

July 1, 1920

Died In the Line of Duty

July 7, 1931

Patrolman Thomas Day was appointed July 1, 1920, and died July 7, 1931. He was bringing a prisoner to Police Headquarters and suffered a fractured skull when the auto in which he was riding was struck by another car at Woodland Avenue and Broad Street. He died in St. Clair Hospital and a charge of manslaughter was filed against the driver of the other car.

1931-10-04 Green Leslie

Patrolman Leslie Green

Entered Division of Police

May 2, 1928

Died In the Line of Duty

October 4, 1931

Patrolman Leslie Green became a policeman May 2, 1928, and lost his life October 4, 1931. With Patrolman Clell Cox, he was assigned to patrol wagon duty when called to Grant Avenue and Main Street to pick up an auto tire theft suspect. The prisoner asked permission to get his coat from the auto but instead whipped out a gun and killed Patrolman Green. The suspect, Willard Jordan, was subdued by Patrolman Cox.

1934-07-23 Porter Ross

Patrolman Ross Porter

Entered Division of Police

March 27, 1922

Died In the Line of Duty

July 23, 1934

Patrolman Ross Porter entered the department March 27, 1922. On May 23, 1934, while making an emergency run, the car in which he and Patrolman Uhlan Boystel were riding collided with another auto and then struck a building. Patrolman Porter died in St. Francis Hospital exactly two months later of injuries received in the crash. Officer Boystel was not injured in the accident.

1935-05-11 Murphy Edward J

Patrolman Edward J. Murphy

Entered Division of Police

October 9, 1922

Died In the Line of Duty

May 11, 1935

Patrolman Edward J. Murphy became a policeman October 9, 1922. One of the most beloved officers on the force, he met his death May 11, 1935, in a gun battle with a burglary suspect in a building at Long and High Streets. The officer was assigned to No. 1 cruiser with John P. Sears at the time. He had cornered the burglar in a stairway landing to the basement of the building and had emptied his gun at the man. As he started down the steps after the suspect, the man opened fire. Four shots struck Patrolman Murphy. The suspect was later captured and electrocuted in Ohio Penitentiary.

1936-11-30 Sears John P

Patrolman John P. Sears

Entered Division of Police

November 1, 1922

Died In the Line of Duty

November 30, 1936

Patrolman John P. Sears came into the department November 1, 1922. He was killed in a freak accident November 30, 1936, in the same building where the slayer of his former partner, Patrolman Murphy, was captured. Sears had gone to the rear of 165-1/2 North Third Street with six other officers to seek a man wanted in Toledo on a murder charge. When a door the officer kicked to gain entrance rebounded, it threw Sears against and through a banister and he fell 14 feet from a second floor outside porch, landing on his head. He died a few minutes later in Grant Hospital.

1938-02-05 Cline Robert R

Detective Robert R. Cline

Entered Division of Police

February 1, 1927

Died In the Line of Duty

February 5,1938

Detective Robert R. Cline became a member of the police force on February 1, 1927, and was killed in the line of duty, February 5, 1938. In one of the most sensational bank robberies and gun battles in the history of the Columbus Police Department, Detective Cline was shot to death, and Detective Leo Phillips and William Danner were wounded. The officers and Detective Robert Cooke cornered the bandits in a Guilford Avenue rooming house on the Hilltop following the robbery of a West Side bank. Three bandits were slain and the fourth, Stephen Figuli, was electrocuted in the Ohio Penitentiary, December 21, 1938.

1939-01-09 Jenkins Campbell K

Patrolman Campbell K. Jenkins

Entered Division of Police

August 23, 1937

Died In the Line of Duty

January 9, 1939

Patrolman Campbell K. Jenkins entered the police department August 23, 1937, and died January 9, 1939. Mystery still surrounds the death of Patrolman Jenkins who was found unconscious and badly injured on Cleveland Avenue near the Pennsylvania Railroad crossing shortly after midnight. It was presumed that Patrolman Jenkins was crowded off the road by a motorist or crashed while chasing a speeder. His badly damaged motorcycle was found nearby. The officer died without regaining consciousness.

1942-01-18 McCullough John M

Patrolman John M. McCullough

Entered Division of Police

March 5, 1941

Died In the Line of Duty

January 18, 1942

Patrolman John M. McCullough came into the department March 5, 1941, and lost his life January 18, 1942. A member of the department only a short time, he was assigned to motorcycle duty and was apparently chasing a speeder at Neil and 4th Avenues at night when his cycle collided with an automobile. He died in University Hospital.

1956-08-17 Webb Thomas E

Patrolman Thomas E. Webb

Entered Division of Police

February 1, 1950

Died In the Line of Duty

August 17, 1956

Patrolman Thomas E. Webb, 31, was the 29th officer killed in the line of duty. Officer Webb, son of retired Sergeant George Webb, was felled by a bullet during a routine investigation of a domestic quarrel at 683 East Capital Street the morning of August 17, 1956. With Webb was Officer Melvin Grimm. Within minutes after the officers’ arrival, Bennie Franklin, 25, estranged husband of the woman at the address, had turned the place into a bloody shambles. Officer Webb was fatally wounded with one shot in the head. Grimm was shot in the back, the bullet traveling up through the shoulder, neck and jaw. After lengthy hospitalization, Officer Grimm recovered. Franklin, trapped in an upstairs bedroom, turned the gun upon himself.

1963 1 19 Taylor Richard E

Patrolman Richard E. Taylor

Entered Division of Police

April 16, 1953

Died In the Line of Duty

January 19, 1963

Patrolman Richard E. Taylor, 38, was the 30th officer killed in the line of duty. In the early morning hours of January 18, 1963, Officer Taylor, assigned to cruiser patrol, was in pursuit of a speeding motorist when his cruiser crashed into a stone wall on East Livingston Avenue. Taylor suffered injuries from which he died the following day.

1964 11 6 Fraley Allen E

Lieutenant Allen E. Fraley

Entered Division of Police

June 16, 1950

Died In the Line of Duty

November 6, 1964

Lieutenant Allen E. Fraley, 42, was one of the best-liked officers in the department. Fraley was shot at point blank range by Eugene Wylie Duling in a hallway at 84 West First Avenue where Lt. Fraley and Officer L. Bankert had gone to question Duling following a rape complaint in the early morning hours of November 5, 1964. A woman opened the door to the apartment and the officers identified themselves, asking if Duling was there. The woman opened the door wide, stepped out of the way and Duling shot Lt. Fraley in the abdomen. Officer Bankert broke into the room but Duling escaped by leaping out of the window. As Fraley was being taken to University Hospital, there began one of the most intensive manhunts in local history. Despite the efforts of the hospital staff and the many persons who responded to a call for blood donations, Lt. Fraley died at 11:50 p.m., November 6, 1964. Duling was captured in front of 82 Price Avenue.

1965 5 27 Lisska Robert F

Patrolman Robert F. Lisska

Entered Division of Police

July 1, 1959

Died In the Line of Duty

May 27, 1965

Patrolman Robert F. Lisska, 36, who entered the department July 1,1959, was the 32nd officer killed in the line of duty. On May 27, 1965, he was on motorcycle patrol on Columbus’ West Side when, in trying to avoid an automobile that had changed lanes into his path, his cycle went out of control and hit a pole. Lisska suffered a fractured skull and died instantly. The driver of the car was later apprehended and charged with changing lanes without safety.

1965 7 27 Redding Daniel Alfred

Patrolman Daniel Alfred Redding

Entered Division of Police

April 13, 1955

Died In the Line of Duty

July 27, 1965

Daniel Alfred Redding

While on patrol in June of 1961, Officer Daniel Redding and his partner were called to a burglary-in-progress on the City’s West Side. A foot-chase ensued with the burglary suspects and Officer Redding severely injured his leg when he fell over a fence. A serious infection developed in his leg causing Officer Redding to undergo 27 surgeries from 1961 to 1964. He retired on disability in 1964.

On July 27, 1965 Daniel Alfred Redding passed away as a result of the injuries he sustained in 1961.

1965 12 21 Wells William G

Patrolman William G. Wells

Entered Division of Police

April 16, 1953

Died In the Line of Duty

December 21, 1965

Patrolman William G. Wells was appointed to the department April 16, 1953 and lost his life December 21, 1965. Wells was working a special duty police assignment at the F & R Lazarus parking garage at Front and Rich Streets, when a car coming down the exit ramp went out of control. Officer Wells was struck by the vehicle and died instantly.

1969 10 14 Kipfinger Lawrence V

Auxiliary Officer Lawrence V. Kipfinger

Entered Auxiliary Police

1957

Died In the Line of Duty

October 14, 1969

Auxiliary Officer Lawrence V. Kipfinger, 48, a twelve-year Auxiliary member, was killed while responding to a robbery-in-progress.

On the evening of October 13, 1969, while on his way to do some personal errands, Auxiliary Officer Kipfinger heard on his police scanner the airing of a robber-in progress at the Lawson Store at 1235 East Hudson Street. Being near this location, he responded in his personal car and went to the side door of the store, as uniform officers responded to the front door. As one of the robbers exited the store, he fired one shot at Auxiliary Officer Kipfinger, striking him in the head. He died several hours later.

1972 3 22 Staton Curtis L

Patrolman Curtis L. Staton

Entered Division of Police

March 16, 1970

Died In the Line of Duty

March 22, 1972

Patrolman Curtis L. Staton became a policeman March 16, 1970 and was killed in the line of duty March 22, 1972. With Officer David Wilson, he was assigned to an ambulance cruiser and had responded to a disturbance call at 2531 Summit Street. As Staton stood at the top of the stairs, knocking on an apartment door, the door was suddenly jerked opened and Staton was shot twice in the chest at point blank range. The assailant later identified as Jerry Cassady, 28, then attempted to flee, but was shot and killed by Staton’s partner.

1972 8 28 Edwards Joseph A

Patrolman Joseph A. Edwards

Entered Division of Police

October 11, 1970

Died In the Line of Duty

August 28, 1972

Patrolman Joseph A. Edwards, who entered the department October 11, 1970. In the evening hours of August 28, 1972, Edwards and his partner, Officer Charles McFadden, were on routine patrol. As they approached the intersection of Woodland and Maryland, they were fired upon from ambush. Edwards was killed by the shotgun blast and McFadden was wounded. An intensive search, investigative work, and the questioning of hundreds of persons brought detectives to the conclusion that one Allen Thrower was responsible for the killing. Four and one-half months later, Thrower was captured in Beaumont, Texas, and returned to stand trail.

1974 7 7 McCann Dale W

Sergeant Dale W. McCann

Entered Division of Police

April 13, 1955

Died In the Line of Duty

June 7, 1974

Sergeant Dale McCann, 47, married and the father of two children died in the line of duty on June 7, 1974. On the morning of June 7, Sergeant McCann radioed he was chasing a speeding vehicle. Two cruisers and a helicopter joined the pursuit. The chase ended when the two suspects lost control of their vehicle. The two men attempted to flee on foot. Sergeant McCann tackled one of the suspects and was putting handcuffs on him when he suffered a heart attack. Additional officers arriving at the scene attempted mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and heart massage. Sergeant McCann died in the emergency room of Mount Carmel Hospital later than morning.

1976 8 11 Brown Roger L and Smith Michael J

Officer Roger L. Brown

Entered Division of Police

April 1, 1967

Died In the Line of Duty

August 11, 1976

Officer Michael J. Smith

Entered Division of Police

August 13, 1972

Died In the Line of Duty

August 11, 1976

Officer Roger L. Brown, 35, entered the department on April 1, 1967. His partner, Officer Michael J. Smith, 32, entered the department on August 13, 1972. On the morning of August 11, 1976, while responding to the aid of other officers who were involved in a vehicular chase on the City’s far east side, the fleeing vehicle crashed head-on into the officer's cruiser at the intersection of Livingston Avenue and Hamilton Road. Both officers were killed instantly. The suspect also died in the collision.

1980 9 6 Yawarsky Martin W

Officer Martin W. Yawarsky

Entered Division of Police

August 10, 1978

Died In the Line of Duty

September 6, 1980

Officer Martin W. Yawarsky, 25, entered the department on August 10, 1978. On September 6, 1980, at approximately 3:30 p.m., officers were dispatched to Cleveland and 23rd Avenues where a man reportedly had a gun. The patrol van in which Officer Yawarsky was a passenger and another cruiser responding to the same call, collided at the intersection of 26th and Hamilton Avenues. The van then struck a third vehicle and flipped onto its top. Officer Yawarsky was pronounced dead at the scene. A prisoner being transported in the van was also killed. Two other officers and the two occupants of the third vehicle were injured in the collision.

1986 4 5 Rich Gordon J

Officer Gordon J. Rich

Entered Division of Police

August 26, 1963

Died In the Line of Duty

April 5, 1986

In the early morning hours of April 5, 1986 Officer Gordon Joe Rich, 45, died in the line of duty. Officer Rich was working a federal traffic enforcement program when he stopped a vehicle on Interstate 70 at State Route 315. While Officer Rich was writing a citation, he was attacked by one of the occupants of the vehicle, who gained control of his service revolver and shot him twice. Officer Rich, a 23-year police veteran, died a short time later at Mt. Carmel Medical Center. A witness to the altercation followed the assailants as they fled the scene. They abandoned their vehicle on the city’s near east side, and were apprehended later the same morning.

1987 6 1 Fickeisen Richard

Patrolman Richard Fickeisen

Entered Division of Police

February 15, 1955

Died In the Line of Duty

June 1, 1987

Patrolman Richard Fickeisen was a nineteen-year Division veteran when he was shot in the back on the morning of July 11, 1974.

At approximately 7:00 a.m. that morning, Officer Fickeisen arrived at 413 N. Virginia Lee Road to serve a warrant. He parked his cruiser and entered the building. When no one answered the door at the apartment named on the warrant, Officer Fickeisen exited the building and headed back to his cruiser. As he passed a man on the sidewalk, the man suddenly drew a revolver and fired, hitting Officer Fickeisen in the spine with a .38 caliber bullet.

Officer Fickeisen was paralyzed from the waist down. He underwent numerous operations and suffered ongoing medical problems until he died in 1987 as a direct result of his injuries.

1989 3 9 Thompson Bowman Jane E

Officer Jane E. Thompson-Bowman

Entered Division of Police

April 2, 1978

Died In the Line of Duty

March 9, 1989

On January 31, 1981, Officer Jane E. Thompson-Bowman was working as an undercover narcotics officer when she and other officers served a search warrant on an Eastfield Drive residence. After the officers were admitted to the house, a suspect inside opened fire with a .25 caliber pistol. Officer Thompson-Bowman was shot twice in the abdomen; two other Columbus officers and a Franklin County deputy sheriff were also wounded. The suspect was apprehended at the scene. He was subsequently convicted on four counts of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 to 100 years in prison.

Officer Thompson-Bowman retired on disability on September 16, 1983. In the years following her injury, she underwent surgery 30 times and was hospitalized 60 times. On March 9, 1989, she died as a direct result of her 1981 injury.

1991 1 4 Nye Robin

Officer Robin Nye

Entered Division of Police

March 7, 1965

Died In the Line of Duty

January 4, 1991

On January 4, 1991 at 11:28 a.m., Officer Robin Nye, a father of five and twenty-five year Division veteran, responded with his partner to a call for back-up from another officer. When Officer Nye’s cruiser entered the intersection of Cassady Avenue and Airport Drive, it was struck broad side on the driver's door by another vehicle, and forced into a third vehicle. Officer Nye was transported via helicopter to Ohio State University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 12:15 p.m., January 4, 1991. His partner suffered a broken arm in the collision.

1991 4 25 Radel Raymond E

Officer Raymond E. Radel

Entered Division of Police

October 31, 1966

Died In the Line of Duty

April 25, 1991

Officer Raymond E. Radel had served 24 years with the Division when he was involved in a tragic automobile accident on April 20, 1991.

On that day at 11:37 p.m., Officer Radel, his son, Tom, and several other officers were returning from an automobile show in Pennsylvania where they had been promoting the Police Athletic League’s Classic Car Show. As they were headed westbound on I-70, east of Brice Road, a car traveling eastbound at high speed veered across the median strip, striking Officer Radel’s truck and trailer. The car exploded into flames. Witnesses pulled Ray and his son from the car. They were flown by helicopter to University Hospital where Officer Radel passed away April 25, 1991.

1993 12 10 Clites Chris E

Officer Chris E. Clites

Entered Division of Police

May 27, 1990

Died In the Line of Duty

December 10, 1993

On December 10, 1993, Officer Chris Clites, 26 died in the line of duty. In the early morning hours of that day, he responded to a call for assistance from another officer who reported suspects fleeing on foot from a routine traffic stop at St. Clair and Bonham Avenues.

Officer Clites joined two other officers in searching for the suspects when he was confronted by one of the perpetrators. Gunfire was exchanged, and Officer Clites shot the suspect once in the chest before suffering a gunshot wound to the head.

Officer John Holloway witnessed the shooting and also shot the suspect, who died at the scene. It was later discovered that the fleeing individuals had robbed a convenience store earlier that day and were driving a stolen vehicle.

Officer Clites died later that day at The Ohio State University Medical Center.

1995 4 5 Muncy Marc

Sergeant Marc Muncy

Entered Division of Police

October 16, 1988

Died In the Line of Duty

April 5, 1995

On April 5, 1995 at approximately 7:40 p.m., Officer Marc Muncy, badge #965, died in the line of duty. Officer Muncy, age 31, was responding to a call for back-up of a fellow officer when he was involved in a traffic accident.

Traveling eastbound on Fisher Road over I-270, the officer’s vehicle struck debris in the roadway, causing his cruiser to go out of control. His car vaulted the center concrete median strip and collided with a westbound tractor-trailer. Both vehicles were engulfed in flames. Officer Marc Muncy was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officer Muncy was the next officer on the promotional list for Sergeant. Effective April 11, 1995, Officer Marc Muncy was promoted posthumously to Sergeant.

Sergeant Muncy is survived by his wife Rebecca, and their children, Eryne, age 4, and Zachary, age 1.

1995 7 9 Evans Keith L

Officer Keith L. Evans

Entered Division of Police

March 16, 1970

Died In the Line of Duty

July 9, 1995

In the late evening hours of July 3, 1995, Officer Keith L. Evans, 47, was directing traffic on West Broad Street west of I-70 following Columbus’ Fourth of July “Red, White and Boom” celebration. A motorist allegedly disregarded Officer Evans’ traffic commands and struck Officer Evans with his vehicle. Officer Evans was transported to Mt. Carmel Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries on July 9, 1995. The motorist, who left the scene, was apprehended and charged.

His wife and two children survive Officer Evans, a 25-year police veteran.

2001 4 29 Claypool Christopher Neal

Lieutenant Christopher Neal Claypool

Entered Division of Police

June 14, 1987

Died In the Line of Duty

April 29, 2001

It was the early morning hours of April 29th, 2001 when Lieutenant Christopher N. Claypool responded to the report of a property damage auto accident on Refugee Road near the intersection of Eastland Mall. Lieutenant Claypool stopped to provide assistance to the involved motorists to insure that no one had been injured.

Lieutenant Claypool had checked on the occupants on the North side of Refugee Road and was attempting to cross Refugee Road to check on the motorists on the South side of the street when a speeding car driving East on Refugee Road struck Lt. Claypool before fleeing the area. Despite the heroic efforts of Officers and Firefighters at the scene, as well as the doctors and nurses of the Grant Hospital Emergency Room, Lt. Claypool succumbed to his injuries.

His wife and two children survive Lieutenant Claypool, a 13-year veteran of the Division of Police.

2004 12 4 Foster Melissa M.

Officer Melissa M. Foster

Entered Division of Police

November 19, 1997

Died In the Line of Duty

December 4, 2004

On December 4, 2004 at approximately 1:00 a.m., Officer Melissa M. Foster was southbound on Gender Rd. responding with another unit on a report of a prowler at Schirm Farms Apartments. The driver of a vehicle heading northbound swerved left of center, forcing the first cruiser to swerve to the right to avoid a collision. Officer Foster, who was following behind the other cruiser, did not see the oncoming vehicle fast enough to take evasive action and the suspect’s vehicle collided into the front of her cruiser at a high rate of speed.

Officer Foster suffered numerous life-threatening injuries and was life-flighted to Grant Hospital where she was pronounced a short time later.

Officer Melissa Foster was a 7 year veteran of the force and the 51st officer to die in the line of duty. She is survived by her two young children.

2005 1 6 Hurst Bryan S.

Officer Bryan S. Hurst

Entered Division of Police

January 6, 2005

Died In the Line of Duty

November 3, 1996

On January 6, 2005 at approximately 10:35 a.m., Officer Bryan Hurst was working special duty at the 5/3rd Bank on East Broad Street when an armed robbery suspect entered the building. The suspect, upon seeing the officer, immediately began advancing on and firing at him. Officer Hurst moved to a different position in the lobby in order to protect the bank’s employees and customers and returned fire, striking the suspect in the arm and hand. Officer Hurst took cover behind the front counter, but the suspect leaned over the counter and fatally shot him just above the protective bulletproof vest that he was wearing, damaging several major vessels and severing his aorta. The suspect then fled from the bank through the shattered front door. He was arrested on January 9, 2005 after an extensive manhunt.