Charles Seehawer

Milwaukee Police Department — Milwaukee, WI

Felonious

End of Watch November 24, 1917

Tour of Duty 17 yrs 11 mo

The Vigil Panel 33 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Keepsakes Department 68

Incident

Police Officer Charles was killed when a bomb exploded in the department's Central Police Station. Officer Seehawer had served with the agency for nearly 18 years and is buried in Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Nine Milwaukee police officers and two civilians were killed when a bomb exploded inside of the Central Police Station at the intersection of Broadway and Oneida Street (modern-day Wells Street). The bomb had been found in an alley between a church and its adjacent mission house. A church member and citizen brought the bomb to the police station and gave it to Station Keeper Henry Deckert, who took it to the assembly room as roll call was starting. As the officers examined the device it exploded, killing eight officers inside of the room, one officer in the radio room above the assembly room, and two civilians who were inside of the station. No suspects were ever identified but it was believed at the time that the bomb had been placed at the church by anarchist sympathizers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: NW-JXNB-KC27-B earlier record number BO-US-WI-B5221305
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Seehawer gave the Milwaukee Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Milwaukee community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Seehawer.

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

Agency

Department Milwaukee Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, WI

Platform Identity mpd.milwaukee.wi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 24, 1917

Tour of Duty 17 yrs 11 mo

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Explosives

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Charles 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.

Compare against

Time

In 1917, 165 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 19th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Charles had served 17.9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

November holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.2% of all 27,543 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was explosives, in 0.3% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded