Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Edwin Peppard was killed after falling from an apartment building that was on fire at 1207 South Damen Avenue.
He and his partner had just delivered a suicidal patient to a nearby hospital when they observed the flames. The two officers immediately responded to the scene and rescued 15 families from the building.
As Patrolman Peppard continued to search for more people in the building he became entrapped on the top floor, surrounded by flames. In an effort to escape the flames he hung from a window ledge with one hand, while attempting to signal other officers with a flashlight in his other hand. The flames burned his hand, causing him to lose his grip and fall to the pavement below. He was transported to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries a short time later.
Patrolman Peppard had served with the Chicago Police Department for six years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-AD7D591A- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Peppard gave the Chicago Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Peppard.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Edwin E. Peppard is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 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. Edwin E. Peppard's cause is highlighted.
How Edwin E. Peppard Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Edwin E. Peppard is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
570 officers from Chicago Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
