Richard F. Cummings
Agency patch
Sergeant

Richard F. Cummings

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL
Accident
End of Watch May 1, 1905
Age 48
Tour of Duty 15 yrs 6 mo
Badge 101
The Vigil Panel 20 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Richard Cummings succumbed to injuries sustained four days earlier when was run over while guarding wagons of Montgomery and Ward Company, on Washington Street, near Dearborne Street . Sergeant Cummings commanded a large group of officers assigned to an area experiencing serious labor problems. Verbal conflict flared between striker breakers and strike sympathizers. A horse-drawn wagon driver disobeyed police orders and attempted to force his vehicle into a heavily congested area. The side of the wagon struck Sergeant Cummings, throwing him to the ground. The sergeant died as a result of the injuries he sustained. Sergeant Cummings died in Alexian Bros. Hospital on May 1, 1905. The horse driver was arrested and held by Coroner's Jury May 10. He was acquitted by jury in Judge Kavanagh's court, Oct. 23, 1906. Sergeant Cummings served with the Chicago Police Department for 15 and a half years and was assigned to the 42nd Police Precinct.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-9B8B287E
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.
Sergeant Cummings gave the Chicago Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Cummings.

— 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 May 1, 1905
Tour of Duty 15 yrs 6 mo
Age 48
Badge Number 101
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Sergeant Richard F. Cummings 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. Richard F. Cummings's cause is highlighted.

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

How Richard F. Cummings Compares

Age at Death
48
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
15.5
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Richard F. Cummings is highlighted in May.

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