Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Irv Hayden was killed in a helicopter crash while conducting traffic condition broadcasts as part of a partnership with the Chicago Police Department and WGN radio. The police helicopter suffered an airframe failure and crashed. Patrolman Hayden and civilian pilot David Demarest were both killed when the helicopter crashed into a baseball field in the 900 block of Cernan Avenue in Bellwood, Illinois. Patrolman Hayden had served with the Chicago Police Department for 23 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-534850E5- 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
23 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Hayden gave the Chicago Police Department 23 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Hayden.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Irwin Francis Hayden 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Irwin Francis Hayden's cause is highlighted.
How Irwin Francis Hayden Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Irwin Francis Hayden is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
570 officers from Chicago Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
