Patrolman

John Powell Jr.

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL
Felonious
End of Watch September 6, 1892
Age 32
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 8 mo
Badge 1168
The Vigil Panel 11 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman John Powell and Officer Henry McDowell were shot and killed while attempting to serve a warrant on a man in Garfield Park on Lexington Street near Independence Boulevard. Officer Powell, while conducting a raid on an illegal racetrack, pursued a racehorse owner who was brandishing a gun while attempting to escape. He was shot twice while apprehending the assailant. The same gunman also killed a second officer, Henry McDowell. The officers' killer was also shot and killed. Patrolman Powell served with the Chicago Police Department for less than two years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
NW-27D8-AFR5-1 earlier record number BO-US-IL-3AAA7895
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

134 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Patrolman Powell gave the Chicago Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Chicago, Cook County, IL
Platform Identity cpd.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 6, 1892
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 8 mo
Age 32
Badge Number 1168
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John is one of 15,741 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.2% of the 27,543 remembered there.

33,910 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1892, 81 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 82nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 32. Of the 14,215 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. John had served 1.7 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.2% of all 27,543 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Chicago Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrolman John Powell Jr.

Chicago Police Department · End of Watch September 6, 1892

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 44-E

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