George Raabe

George Raabe

On November 2, 1937 Detective George Raabe was shot and killed and two policemen were wounded as a gun battle raged over two floors at the main plant of the Luick Dairy at 1132 N. 6th Street. One suspect was killed. A second man was captured and a third was identified as the gunman who killed Raabe. It is believed the suspect waited in the shadows of the darkened first floor and when Detective Raabe reached the lower landing he opened […] Read More

Joseph Lecher

Detective Joseph Lecher died on March 21, 1943, one month after being shot when he cornered a burglar in a bedroom in the 5400 block of W. Wells Street. Police received an anonymous call about a suspicious individual in a home where the owners were believed to be away. Four detectives responded to the house as they had been in search of a burglar believed to be responsible for dozens of crimes. Two detectives remained outside while Detective Lecher and […] Read More

Arnold Werner

Officer Arnold Werner died July 10th, 1943, his 30th birthday, of injuries suffered four days earlier when a vehicle turned left in front of his motorcycle at N. 37th Street and W. Wisconsin Avenue, while he was in pursuit of another vehicle. Werner joined the police force June 1, 1942, and became a motorcycle officer two months later. In addition to his wife, he was survived by a 14-day old son, two daughters ages 5 and 9, his parents, three […] Read More

Valentine Adam

Just after 2:00 a.m. on March 6, 1948, Police Officer Valentine Adam Jr. was struck by an automobile and killed as he directed traffic at the intersection of N. Downer and E. Newport Avenues. Officer Adam was guiding a motorist around a snow clearing operation when a driver failed to turn striking Officer Adam. He was thrown or carried by the automobile 107 feet and suffered compound fractures of the skull and left leg. He was pronounced dead at a local […] Read More

Albert Grosskopf

On February 13, 1943, Lieutenant Albert Grosskopf responded in the police ambulance to a second alarm fire at the Beaumont Apartments, 1227 N Milwaukee Street. It was procedure to send a police ambulance to all two alarm fires as a precautionary measure. Lieutenant Grosskopf was promoted to his rank on February 1, 1943 and assigned to the first district police headquarters. While at the fire scene, Lieutenant Grosskopf was observed falling to the ground and it was believed that he […] Read More

Elmer W. Bates

Police Officer Elmer W. Bates was struck by an automobile on August 20th, 1948, and thrown 10 feet into the air as he crossed N. Lincoln Memorial Drive opposite the North Point pumping station, in answer to another motorist’s call for assistance. The car then rolled over him. Bates suffered a head injury, leg and jaw fractures and severe cuts. He died three days later on August 23rd, 1948. Officer Bates was 42-years-old and married. Read More