Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Francis Smolka suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after arresting a suspect who had resisted arrest. Patrolman Smolka, along with two fellow officers, answered a disturbance call that involved a physical altercation with a male who resisted arrest. Upon returning to the station, Patrolman Smolka collapsed. Three officers performed CPR at the station and while en route to Lorain Community Hospital. Despite attempts by hospital staff, he was pronounced dead at 2:15 a.m. Patrolman Smolka was a United States Army veteran and served with the Vermilion Police Department for two years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two brothers, and sister.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-OH-B6FE1C3C- Stewardship
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- 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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Smolka gave the Vermilion Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Vermilion community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Francis Smolka served in the Other (1972â1975) before joining law enforcement.
Patrolman Francis Smolka is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In OH, 43 of 991 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 4.3% of this state's fallen. That is 0.3 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.
National Cause Distribution
How Cardiac compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Francis Smolka's cause is highlighted.
How Francis Smolka Compares
When Cardiac Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Cardiac deaths across the full memorial record. Francis Smolka is highlighted in Oct.