James E. O'Connor
Agency patch
Lieutenant

James E. O'Connor

Chicago Police Department — Chicago, IL
Felonious
End of Watch January 28, 1970
Age 62
Tour of Duty 37 yrs
Badge 434
The Vigil Panel 233 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Lieutenant James E. O'Connor was shot and killed during an armed robbery attempt. He was visiting a retired policeman at his workplace at 11048 S. Michigan Avenue. An armed man entered the establishment with a gun in one hand and the other hand covering his face for a disguise. Lieutenant O'Connor attempted to disarm the man but the gunman fired once and shot him in the head. Two detectives were in the neighborhood on an investigation and saw the struggle from across the street. Joining detectives in the pursuit was another policeman who had been in the office with Lieutenant O'Connor. Both the gunman and his accomplice were arrested within hours. The gunman was convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 to 100 years in prison. His 33-year-old accomplice committed suicide in jail. Lieutenant O'Connor was a 37 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1954 and had recently been assigned to the Kensington District.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

37 years. You could have gone home.
Lieutenant O'Connor gave the Chicago Police Department 37 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant O'Connor.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Chicago, Cook County, IL
Platform Identity cpd.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 28, 1970
Tour of Duty 37 yrs
Age 62
Badge Number 434
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

James is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1970, 138 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 29th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

James was 62. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. James had served 37 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Chicago Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, James among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Lieutenant James E. O'Connor

Chicago Police Department · End of Watch January 28, 1970

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 60-E

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