Charles P. Gillin

Cedar Rapids Police Department — Cedar Rapids, IA

Accident

End of Watch January 4, 1913

Age 36

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 27 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Police Officer Charles Gillin was accidentally shot and killed by another officer when he and several officers responded to a prisoner riot at the Linn County Jail in Marion, Iowa. One of Iowa's most notorious criminals, who was in jail for blowing a bank safe, threw a bottle of nitroglycerin against the wall in his cell, blowing out part of the wall. As the officers entered the jail, one officer opened fire with an automatic rifle, striking Officer Gillin and another officer as the inmate threw what he thought was another bottle of nitroglycerin at the officers. Luckily, he picked up the wrong bottle. It was later discovered that one of the inmate's gang members had smuggled three bottles of nitroglycerin to him. The inmate was convicted of numerous crimes and sentenced to 35 years in prison. On June 11th, 1913, he escaped. In 1914, he was located in California at San Quentin Prison, where he was serving a three-year sentence for burglary under an assumed name. In 1917, as the inmate was being returned to Iowa, he escaped again by jumping from the train. Several days later, he was recaptured and returned to prison in Iowa. Officer Gillin had served with the Cedar Rapids Police Department for two years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IA-865CF5C7
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: 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.
Police Officer Gillin gave the Cedar Rapids Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cedar Rapids community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Gillin.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Cedar Rapids Police Department

Location Cedar Rapids, IA

Platform Identity crpd.linn.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 4, 1913

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Police Officer Charles P. Gillin is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IA, 71 of 226 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.4 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Cedar Rapids Police Department, 3 of 6 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Cedar Rapids Police Department

of 6 officers

50% Accident

IA — Statewide

of 226 officers

31.4% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident