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Patrolman

Anthony Wieczorek

Cleveland Division of Police — Cleveland, OH

Felonious

End of Watch September 13, 1928

Age 32

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 56 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 118

Incident

Patrolman Anthony Wieczorek was shot and killed when he and four other officers went to a restaurant on East 55th Street and Fleet Avenue to arrest a Pennsylvania prison escapee. A customer recognized the suspect and called the police. When they arrived, they approached the suspect with their guns holstered in order to not incite a shooting match. The suspect, however, opened fire, striking Patrolman Wieczorek four times and striking Patrolman George Effinger once. Patrolman Wieczorek was taken to a local hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. Patrolman Effinger succumbed to his wound on March 20, 1933. The suspect, who had been shot and wounded during the incident, was apprehended. The suspect boasted that he had killed as many as 26 men. In 1927, the subject was convicted of the murder of a payroll guard he killed in Pittsburgh on December 23, 1925, and sentenced to death. On August 18, 1927, he and another death row inmate shot their way out of the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh. The subject and a gang he developed were responsible for several hold-ups and murders until his capture. On June 25, 1928, he shot and killed Sergeant George Barstad of the Detroit Police Department during a hold-up at the Detroit News business office. The subject recovered from his wounds and was returned to Pennsylvania, where he was executed in the electric chair on January 20, 1929. Patrolman Wieczorek had served with the Cleveland Police Department for four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Wieczorek gave the Cleveland Division of Police 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cleveland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Wieczorek.

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

Agency

Department Cleveland Division of Police

Type Other

Location Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, OH

Platform Identity cdpd.cuyahoga.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 13, 1928

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Anthony 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.

Compare against

Time

In 1928, 201 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 13th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Anthony was 32. 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. Anthony had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

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