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Patrolman

Michael T. Langan

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL

Felonious

End of Watch December 30, 1929

Age 47

Tour of Duty 15 yrs 2 mo

Badge 4860

The Vigil Panel 132 · Column 1 · Line 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 570

Incident

Patrolman Michael Langan was fatally wounded during an armed robbery in front of a soft drink parlor at 2745 North Ashland Avenue at 11:45 pm. Patrolman Langan was in plain clothes inside a soft drink parlor when he observed four men enter. The men were wearing police badges and identified themselves as police officers when they announced a robbery. As Patrolman Langan confronted the men, they opened fire. Patrolman Langan managed to return fire as the four fled from the parlor. The next day the body of one was found with a bullet wound in his back. He had been stripped of his identification, and his identity was never learned. Two witnesses identified one suspect as a former police officer who had recently been fired for extortion. He fled from Chicago and was never seen again. The other two were never identified. Patrolman Langan succumbed to his wounds on the way to the hospital. It was his first day back to duty after recovering from a bout of influenza. He had also been shot a few months earlier in a gun battle months with another subject. Patrolman Langan had served with the Chicago Police Department for 15 years, assigned to the 37th District- Sheffield. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and son. He is buried at Calvary Cemetary, Evanston, Illinois.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and son.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Langan gave the Chicago Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Langan.

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

Agency

Department Chicago Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Chicago, Cook County, IL

Platform Identity cpd.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 30, 1929

Tour of Duty 15 yrs 2 mo

Age 47

Badge Number 4860

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Michael is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1929, 205 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 12th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Michael was 47. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Michael had served 15.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded