Edward C. J. Hennessey
Agency patch
Patrolman

Edward C. J. Hennessey

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL
Accident
End of Watch October 16, 1908
Age 27
Tour of Duty 8 yrs 6 mo
The Vigil Panel 23 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Edward Hennessey was killed when he came into contact with a live wire while trying to relight a street light at the intersection of Rockwell Street (Present day North Western Avenue) and Fulton Street.

Patrolman Hennessey served with the Chicago Police Department for eight and a half years and was attached to the Warren Avenue station.

Survivors

He was survived by his mother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-4659BED4
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

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Hennessey gave the Chicago Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Hennessey.

— 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 October 16, 1908
Tour of Duty 8 yrs 6 mo
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Patrolman Edward C. J. Hennessey is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In IL, 354 of 1,318 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 26.9% of this state's fallen. That is 26.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Chicago Police Department, 107 of 571 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 18.7% of this agency's fallen.

Chicago Police Department
107
of 571 officers
18.7% Accident
IL — Statewide
354
of 1,318 officers
26.9% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Edward C. J. Hennessey's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Edward C. J. Hennessey Compares

Age at Death
27
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
8.5
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Edward C. J. Hennessey is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location