Roll of Honor
Incident
Assistant Chief of Police Thomas Krokoski was shot and mortally wounded in the early morning hours of September 24th, 1929, as he and two other officers were attempting to arrest a man who had just burglarized three houses in the borough. A witness observed the man running down Union Street toward Wyoming Avenue and alerted the officers. The officers split up as they started searching the lumber yard at the intersection of Factory Street and Union Street and Assistant Chief Krokoski located him hiding behind a stack of lumber. A violent struggle ensued in which the man shot Assistant Chief Krokoski at close range and then fled. One of the other officers emptied his revolver at the fleeing criminal, but because of the dense fog, he did not know if any of his shots hit the man. An intensive investigation involving state police, county detectives, and local officers was initiated. On October 4th, 1929, a man from nearby Wilkes-Barre was arrested for the shooting of Assistant Chief Krokoski. Investigation showed he had been shot in the shoulder by the other officer while fleeing from the scene and had sought treatment from a local physician. The investigation also revealed he was involved in numerous other crimes including murder. He was convicted on November 21st, 1929, and sentenced to death. He was subsequently executed on June 12th, 1930. Assistant Chief Krokoski had served on the Luzerne Borough Police Department for 10 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and child.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-PA-F613C034- Stewardship
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Assistant Chief of Police Krokoski gave the Luzerne Borough Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the Luzerne community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Assistant Chief of Police Krokoski.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Assistant Chief of Police Thomas Krokoski is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 6.9 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Thomas Krokoski's cause is highlighted.
How Thomas Krokoski Compares
Offender Outcome
Executed in 1930
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Thomas Krokoski is highlighted in Sep.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Thomas Krokoski was killed by gun; unknown type.