Jasper H. Cole
Agency patch
Patrolman

Jasper H. Cole

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL
Accident
End of Watch February 10, 1892
Age 27
Tour of Duty 3 yrs 9 mo
Badge 1703
The Vigil Panel 11 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Jasper H. Cole, of the Des Plaines Street Station, was accidentally shot and killed when reaching for another officer’s revolver. Patrolman Cole and a fellow officer were having a conversation about a recent case whereupon the fellow officer demonstrated the location the assailant had his revolver. Patrolman Cole then asked to see the weapon. As he reached into the officer’s pocket to remove the weapon, the other officer’s hand was also in his pocket. The revolver accidentally discharged. The bullet struck Patrolman Cole in his right eye and lodged in the back of his head. The wounded officer collapsed to the floor unconscious. Patrolman Cole was carried into the drill room. He did not regain consciousness and died a few minutes before 6:00 p.m.

Survivors

Patrolman Jasper Cole served with the Chicago Police Department for less than four years and was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-B438FD5C
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 Cole gave the Chicago Police Department 3 years.
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 February 10, 1892
Tour of Duty 3 yrs 9 mo
Age 27
Badge Number 1703
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Patrolman Jasper H. Cole 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. Jasper H. Cole's cause is highlighted.

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

How Jasper H. Cole Compares

Age at Death
27
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
3.7
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Jasper H. Cole is highlighted in Feb.

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