Patrolman

William H. Schnell

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL
Accident
End of Watch January 2, 1892
Age 27
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 10 mo
Badge 2188
The Vigil Panel 11 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer William Schnell became the victim of an unanticipated discharge while cleaning his service revolver.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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 Schnell 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 January 2, 1892
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 10 mo
Age 27
Badge Number 2188
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

William is one of 8,274 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% 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
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1892, 7 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 139th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

William was 27. Of the 7,715 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. William had served 1.8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 7.7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Saturdays: 14.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,543 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrolman William H. Schnell

Chicago Police Department · End of Watch January 2, 1892

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 20-W

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