Otto E. Kolodzik

Middletown Police Department — Middletown, OH

Accident

End of Watch January 27, 1932

Age 34

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 63 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Incident

Chief of Police Otto Kolodzik succumbed to complications of an accidental gunshot wound sustained on December 18th, 1931.

He was carrying a shotgun from a police car into the police station when he tripped on the stairs. The shotgun fell and discharged, striking him in both feet. The wound resulted in several toes having to be amputated. He developed complications following the surgery and died as a result on January 27th, 1932.

Chief Kolodzik had served with the Middletown Police Department for two years and had previously served as the police chief of the Hamilton Police Department for three years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and five children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-E1216694
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.
Chief of Police Kolodzik gave the Middletown Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Middletown community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Kolodzik.

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

Agency

Department Middletown Police Department

Location Middletown, OH

Platform Identity mpd.butler.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 27, 1932

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Cause Detail Gunfire (Inadvertent)

Chief of Police Otto E. Kolodzik 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 OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Middletown Police Department, 3 of 8 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.5% of this agency's fallen.

Middletown Police Department

of 8 officers

37.5% Accident

OH — Statewide

318

of 991 officers

32.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident