Fallen Heroes

Their sacrifice will always be remembered

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Detective Kerrie Sue Orozco

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Cause: Gunfire

Omaha Police Detective Kerrie Orozco joined the Omaha Police Department in December 2007.  During her seven years on the department, she worked in Uniform Patrol Bureau, Criminal Investigations Bureau, Gang Unit and Fugitive Task Force.

On May 20th, 2015, at 1258hrs, while assigned to the Metro Area Fugitive Task Force,  Detective Orozco was part of a team conducting surveillance attempting to locate and arrest a 26 year old fugitive Marcus Wheeler.  Wheeler was wanted on a Felony Warrant for 1st Degree Assault.

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Police Officer Gregory Keith Hamill

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Cause: Duty related illness

On January 30th, 2014, Omaha Police Detective Greg Hamill of the Narcotics Unit was working in his capacity as a detective during a narcotics investigation.  The investigation involved making a controlled buy of illegal narcotics, using a Confidential Informant (CI).  Prior to making the controlled buy, the CI met up with Detective Hamill, as well as Detectives Perna and Hansen.  During this meeting, the CI was searched by Hamill to ensure the CI had no illegal items on their person.  Hamill then searched the CI’s vehicle for the same reason.  The CI was then sent to make a controlled buy of illegal narcotics, and then returned to meet up with the detectives.  After returning, the CI was again searched by Hamill.  As the CI discussed the transaction with Perna and Hansen, their vehicle was extensively searched by Hamill.  After the CI was released, all of the detectives discussed the controlled buy, and handled the purchased narcotics. On February 5th, 2014, Detectives Hansen, Hamill and Perna all became ill with what was later diagnosed to be Influenza.  Detective Hamill became seriously ill, and was subsequently admitted to the hospital.  During Hamill’s extended stay in the hospital, he was placed into a coma to try and fight the effects of the Influenza that was attacking his body.  During this stay, Hamill suffered a serious medical condition, from which he would not recover.  On Wednesday, February 19th, 2014, Greg Hamill passed away.

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Sergeant Jason "Tye" Pratt

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Friday, September 19, 2003
Cause: Gunfire

September 11th is a somber day in American history.  It’s a day that we honor the brave police officers and firefighters of New York, who died heroes as a result of a cowardly act.  The human tragedy.  The tragic loss of life.  Two years to the day, the Omaha Police Department would see a tragedy happen to one of its own.  And, it’s a tragedy that still affects many of us to this day.

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Officer James B. Wilson, Jr.

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Sunday, August 20, 1995
Cause: Gunfire

It was Sunday, August 20th, 1995, and Officer Jimmy Wilson, Jr. reported for his shift at about 3 pm.  He was assigned to work out of the East Police Assembly Area at 40th and Nicholas.  Wilson had just recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of his graduation from the Academy, where his father, Jimmy, Sr., had pinned his badge on him.  It was another typical day for the 40 Crew, and for Jimmy Wilson.  At approximately 8:01 pm, Wilson, who went by the call sign Adam 45,  radioed to Police Dispatch and requested a registration check on a tow-tone brown van that he was following.  Dispatch responded that the license plate (Nebraska plate 1-N7731) belonged to a 1981 Mazda passenger car, and not a van.  Wilson replied that he was going to perform a traffic stop on the van.  That was the last radio transmission Wilson would make.  

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Officer Paul A. Nields

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Thursday, June 6, 1974
Cause: Gunfire

On Wednesday, June 5, 1974, Elza Carr, Jr., a 33 year old man who lived in a rooming house at 1818 N. 25th Street, went downstairs and spoke to his landlady, Mrs. Mary Owen.  Carr asked Owen to call his half-brother, Jesse McDonald, 47, of 4409 Pinkney Street, and tell him to come over with $10, as he was not feeling well.  Owen left the message with McDonald’s wife, and then told her that Carr was “acting like he is losing his mind.”  Later in the evening, McDonald arrived at the rooming house and left the money with Owen.  He did not go upstairs to see Carr.  As McDonald was preparing to leave, Carr yelled down from upstairs: “here I am sick and you won’t even see me.”  McDonald called up to Carr and asked him if he had a message for their mother.  “Tell her I love her,” Carr said.  McDonald walked outside, and was shot from behind from the second floor of the rooming house he had just left.  McDonald ran east, down an alley between Decatur Street and Parker Street, towards 24th Street, and collapsed in front of 1812 N. 24th Street.  It was approximately 9:30 pm.

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Officer Larry D. Minard, Sr.

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Monday, August 17, 1970
Cause: Bomb

The late 1960’s and early 1970’s were a turbulent time for America.  Public unrest marred many cities in America during this time.  Omaha was not exempt from this violence, especially in the northeastern part of the city.  Race related riots and radical groups advocating the killing of police officers made being a cop in Omaha a dangerous profession.  The city would tragically see how dangerous in the summer of 1970.

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Officer John E. Costello

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Tuesday, May 30, 1961
Cause: Motorcycle Crash

On May 22, 1961, Omaha Police Officer John E. Costello was riding his police motorcycle east on Center Street, approaching 48th Street.  A vehicle driven by Mrs. Phyliss Jordan was heading west on Center Street at the time.  Jordan attempted to make a left turn onto 48th Street.  She did so in front of Costello, as he approached.  Jordan claimed she didn’t see the motorcycle until one second before impact.  Jordan was arrested on an open charge, and was released under a $1,000 signature bond.

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Detective Joseph J. Treglia

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Friday, July 17, 1936
Cause: Gunfire

On Friday, July 17th, 1936, two Omaha Police officers, Detective Sergeant Charles Swanson and Detective Sergeant Joseph Treglia headed out from the Police Headquarters to do some follow up work on a rash of burglaries that had recently occurred in the western part of the city.  Treglia was considered the burglary “ace” of the department, having solved numerous burglaries throughout his career.  Just after 10:00 am, while driving west on Leavenworth, Treglia spotted a man walking out of the Selma Terrace apartments, 630 Park Avenue.  Treglia recognized this man as somebody he arrested a few years back for burglary.  The officers stopped and checked this man.  The man was John Spencer, who also went by the alias J.G. Bunke.  Treglia patted down Spencer, and found a case knife (a favorite tool of burglars) and a screw driver.  The detectives decided to take him back downtown for questioning

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Officer Leslie G. Chamberlin

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Monday, July 29, 1935
Cause: Motorcycle Crash

On Sunday, July 28, 1935, Omaha motorcycle policemen Fred R. Delfs and Leslie G. Chamberlin were parked on 41st Street, near Dodge Street.  Just before 11 pm, they observed a vehicle speeding west on Dodge Street.  Delfs was the first officer to respond, and gave chase on his motorcycle.  Chamberlin followed closely behind him, but was still two blocks behind.

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Officer Reynold Wolfe

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Saturday, February 23, 1935
Cause: Gunfire

Omaha Police Officers Reynold “Ray” Wolfe and Clarence Drehsen were partners.  But more than that, they were friends.  The two young officers looked forward to a long career with the Police Department.  But that partnership and friendship would end in a hail of gunfire on a cold winter evening on a downtown street.

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Officer James J. Sullivan

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Saturday, April 4, 1931
Cause: Gunfire

Omaha had been experiencing a rash of robberies at service stations throughout the city in 1931.  Chief Pszanowski, Omaha’s Police Chief, developed a plan to position police officers in hiding at service stations, hoping to catch the robbers in the act.  On Saturday, April 4th, 1931, Patrolman James J. Sullivan was stationed at the Coryell filling station, located on the southeast corner of 30th and Parker.  Sullivan, armed with a shotgun, took his position concealed in the small restroom inside of the station, and waited.  Later in the evening, two men entered the station and attempted to rob it.  Shots were exchanged, and Officer Sullivan lay dead as the two robbers ran off.

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Detective Sergeant F. A. Kruger

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Monday, November 17, 1930
Cause: Gunfire

Every good cop has done it numerous times.  While on patrol, you see somebody standing on the corner that appears to be “suspicious.”  Your instincts tell you to check them out.  It happens every day in this city.  But it’s one of the most dangerous parts of our job.  Good officers die doing it.  It was no different on November 17th, 1930 at 16th and Wirt St.

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Sergeant William M. Davis

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Friday, February 25, 1927
Cause: Automobile Crash

Not all of our fallen heroes died at the hands of criminals they were trying to capture.

On Friday, February 25, 1927, Omaha Police were investigating a prowling that had happened earlier that morning at 1312 Douglas Street.  Two men, Louis Earl of 1111 Douglas and Lloyd Dooley of 6905 N. 40th Street were arrested for investigation in connection with the prowling.  Four detectives were sent in route to Dooley’s residence to look for items taken from the various places entered by the prowlers.  The four detectives were Tom Farmer, Arthur English, Tom Ryan, and Detective Sergeant William M. Davis.

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Detective Frank S. Aughe

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Thursday, January 31, 1924
Cause: Gunfire

It was Thursday, January 31, 1924, just after 3:30 p.m.  The Crosstown Pharmacy, 1223 South 24th Street (24th and Poppleton), had just been robbed.  The owner of the pharmacy, M.G. Kreymborg, reported being robbed at gunpoint of $12 by a gunman whom he described as wearing a brown coat and a light colored cap.  This description sounded familiar to police, as somebody with the same description had been robbing pharmacies in the area recently.  “He commanded me to open the safe” Kreymborg later told the World-Herald.  “When I refused he said he would kill me.  I told him if he killed me he wouldn’t get the money anyway” he said.  “I guess that’s right,” the bandit replied, who then took the $12 from the register and fled.  Omaha Police began to immediately search the area for the bandit.  This included a police car driven by a chauffer named Lester Warner that held four detectives: Frank Killian, William Davis, Frank Murphy (obviously not the same Frank Murphy who was killed in the line of duty in 1919), and Frank S. Aughe.

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Officer James E. Scott

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Friday, February 10, 1922
Cause: Gunfire

On a cold winter night in the southern part of the city on Thursday, February 9, 1922, just after 10:30 pm, Police Officer James E. Scott was on a routine foot patrol, when he stopped into the Belitz soft drink parlor at 31st and A Street.  Scott had stopped to get a drink of water and to warm himself by the stove.  Just before Scott’s arrival, the proprietor of the parlor, Walter Groves, had ejected three men from the store.  It is uncertain if Scott ran into these three men as he himself walked to the parlor.  After warming himself, Scott left the parlor to go back on his patrol.  Just after Scott left the parlor, witnesses reported hearing multiple gunshots.  George Sheehan, an Omaha motorcycle officer who lived two blocks away, heard the shots and came running to investigate.  Sheehan found Scott lying on the ground, dead from multiple gunshot wounds.  He had been shot twice in the left arm, and once through the heart.  It was later determined that different caliber rounds had caused Scott’s injuries.  A .38 caliber round had penetrated his heart, killing him.  His own .45 Colt revolver lay by his side, its five chambers empty, showing Scott had put up a fight.  He had only been an Omaha police officer two months.

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Detective Arthur G. Cooper

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Tuesday, February 1, 1921
Cause: Gunfire

Detective Frank J. Murphy, Jr.

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Wednesday, July 23, 1919
Cause: Gunfire

It was Wednesday, July 16th, 1919 at 2:20 am.  Omaha Police Detective Frank Murphy was looking for a robber – a “highway-man,” as they were called back then.  Along with Murphy in the police automobile were Detectives Lundeen and Farrand.  During the prior two weeks, a lone gunman had been terrorizing pedestrians and robbing them with regularity.  This forced the Police Department to take extraordinary measures, such as having detectives patrolling at 2:20 in the morning, looking for robbers.  Just the night before, at 2:20 am, William Gorum was robbed of $4 at 25th & Douglas Street.  A few minutes later, H.J. Tanner was robbed of $8.  The description of the lone robber given by both men was exactly the same – a dark blue suit, a white shirt with no collar, and a cap.  Murphy, Lundeen and Farrand were now looking for this suspect in the area and at the time he last struck.

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Detective Frank Rooney

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Thursday, January 31, 1918
Cause: Gunfire

On Wednesday, January 30th, 1918 at 3:45 p.m., five unmasked bandits walked into the Harry Malashock Jewelry Store, 1514 Dodge Street.  Moments later, they walked out of the store and into a waiting vehicle with $15,000 in jewelry, and headed north on 14th Street.  This daring daylight robbery took place while two uniformed police officers stood within 100 feet of the store.  The bandits disappeared.  The Malashock Jewelry store had just been robbed by a notorious criminal gang who had been responsible for a spree of robberies in Minneapolis, Minnesota, including three jewelry stores, two banks, and a gambling establishment.  This spree netted the gang over $50,000.  The gang had also been responsible for numerous “stick-ups” in Kansas City, Missouri.  Omaha Police began to search the city for the bandits.  Their first big break came from a newspaper boy, Jim Carey, who was walking home from school, when he found a small box in the street near 16th and Ohio Street.  Inside the box were some cuff links that had been taken in the robbery.  Responding officers soon found the bandits’ escape vehicle abandoned near 22nd and Miami Street.  The vehicle had been reported stolen two days earlier.

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Officer William Good

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Friday, March 31, 1916
Cause: Gunfire

On Friday, March 31, 1916, just before 1:00 p.m., Mrs. Oliver P. Morrell of 2924 North 24th Street went to her neighbor’s house and spoke with its occupant, Mrs. R.E. McClurg.  She told McClurg that her husband had come home drunk and had beaten her.  This was nothing new, as neighbors had reported seeing Oliver Morrell frequently striking his wife.  This time, Mrs. Morrell decided to call the police.  After initially being told to get a warrant for her husband, the police told her that they would send the officer that was working the beat.  The two women returned to the Morrell residence to wait for the officer.

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Detective Thomas Ring

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Wednesday, February 10, 1915
Cause: Gunfire

Detective Tom Ring was given an assignment.  It was Wednesday, February 10, 1915.  Special Agent Frank Cashman of the Union Pacific Railroad had telephoned the Omaha Police Department and asked for help in arresting some men whom he had suspected of robbing box cars from the nearby rail yard.  Ring, Cashman, and Special Officer Phillips of the Burlington Railroad went to the area of 15th and Chicago Street to look for their suspects.  Once there, the officers saw three Mexican males coming out of a rooming house at 401 N. 15th Street.  Two of the men were wearing brand new shoes.  Cashman noted that a supply of shoes had recently been stolen from the freight cars in the rail yard.  The officers followed the three to a nearby saloon.  There, they confronted the men and asked them where they got the new shoes from.  The men told the officers that they had purchased the shoes from some other Mexican men on the second floor of the rooming house they had just walked out of.  Detective Ring and Officer Cashman took one of the men back to the rooming house to point out the specific room, while Officer Phillips stayed and watched the other two.  Ring and Cashman got the landlord of the rooming house, A.M. Madrid.  The men then went up to the second floor, and Madrid knocked on the door.  Ring and Cashman identify themselves as officers through the closed door.  “Then keep away from that door!” was the response yelled back at the officers.

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Policeman Edward Lowry

South Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Friday, February 19, 1909
Cause: Gunfire

On Friday, February 19th, 1909, one month after the murder of Omaha Police Officer Lafayette Smith at 9th and Douglas Street, Edward Lowry, a police officer in the city of South Omaha was given an assignment.  He was to answer a complaint at a tenant house at 24th and N Street regarding a man’s questionable relationship with a 17 year old girl.  At the tenant house, just before 11 p.m., Lowry arrested 39 year old John Masourides, a Greek immigrant, and Lillian Breese, a 17 year old who was tutoring Masourides in English.  Lowry then began to march his prisoners towards the South Omaha Police Station for questioning.  Just south of N Street, as they approached a dark section of 24th Street, Masourides suddenly produced a revolver, turned on Lowry and fired, striking him in the abdomen.  Lowry, despite his serious wound, bravely returned fire and struck Masourides in the chest and leg.  It would be the last thing Ed Lowry would ever do.  Despite being carried to the nearby Schaefer Drugstore by a group of citizens, Ed Lowry died on the street, shortly after firing at Masourides.

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Officer Lafayette A. Smith

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Thursday, January 14, 1909
Cause: Gunfire

On Thursday, January 14, 1909, shortly before 1:00 a.m. Omaha Police Officer Lafayette A. Smith was walking a beat at 10th and Douglas Street, in Omaha’s “red light” district.  A block away, at 112 ½ N. 9th Street, a man walked into a “resort” and approached its keeper, Annie Wilson (a “woman of the underworld known as Red-Headed Annie”).  Without saying a word, the man grabbed a diamond necklace that was around Wilson’s neck, and ran out the front door, towards 9th and Capitol Ave.  A woman who was in the resort, Jennie Smith (no relation to Officer Smith), pursued the man to the corner of 9th and Capitol and confronted him.  The man struck the woman on the head with a revolver.  Hearing the commotion, Officer Smith ran down Douglas Street from 10th Street to the struggle.  Upon seeing the approaching officer, the man turned and fired two shots in rapid succession, hitting Officer Smith both times.  Although gravely wounded, Officer Smith fired back twice.  One of the rounds struck the bandit in the leg.  Smith collapsed, and the gunman fled towards the river.

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Detective Samuel S. Drummy

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Saturday, February 15, 1908
Cause: Gunfire

On Friday, February 19th, 1909, one month after the murder of Omaha Police Officer Lafayette Smith at 9th and Douglas Street, Edward Lowry, a police officer in the city of South Omaha was given an assignment.  He was to answer a complaint at a tenant house at 24th and N Street regarding a man’s questionable relationship with a 17 year old girl.  At the tenant house, just before 11 p.m., Lowry arrested 39 year old John Masourides, a Greek immigrant, and Lillian Breese, a 17 year old who was tutoring Masourides in English.  Lowry then began to march his prisoners towards the South Omaha Police Station for questioning.  Just south of N Street, as they approached a dark section of 24th Street, Masourides suddenly produced a revolver, turned on Lowry and fired, striking him in the abdomen.  Lowry, despite his serious wound, bravely returned fire and struck Masourides in the chest and leg.  It would be the last thing Ed Lowry would ever do.  Despite being carried to the nearby Schaefer Drugstore by a group of citizens, Ed Lowry died on the street, shortly after firing at Masourides.

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Officer Dan D. Tiedeman

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Wednesday, June 9, 1897
Cause: Gunfire

In the early days of Omaha, the night shift or “dog watch” as it was called by its police officers, was probably similar to what it is now.  Long bouts of boredom mixed in with brief moments of sheer terror.  This held true for one of Omaha’s first, and finest, police officers.  It is yet another example of the type of call that is still handled by Omaha officers today, and it shows how long this job has been dangerous.

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Constable Jeremiah "Jere" McCheane

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Sunday, June 26, 1870
Cause: Stabbed

In the late 1860’ and early 1870’s, Omaha was a newer city in a new state in the Union that was just beginning to boom.  As Omaha got bigger, it began to experience the pains of a big city.  On Saturday afternoon, June 25, 1870, an arrest warrant was issued by Justice Graham against Bernard Doran.  The complaint in the warrant was made by Doran’s own father.  The crime charged was adultery, and that it was with his father’s wife.  It was understood that the warrant was to be served late at night, in order to try to catch Doran and his step-mother together.  Mrs. Doran, however, became aware of the warrant.  She also learned that the police would come and visit sometime during the night.  She went to a neighbor’s house to hide, so as to not be caught with her step-son when the warrant was served.  The man ordered to execute the arrest warrant was Constable Jeremiah McCheane.

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Officer Thomas A. Welch

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Friday, August 17, 1866
Cause: Gunfire

On Sunday, June 24, 1866 in the town of Omaha, in the Nebraska Territory, Deputy Marshal Thomas A. Welch was escorting a man from a beer garden (site of which is unknown) for causing a disturbance.  While being escorted outside, the man (who was a soldier in the 1st Nebraska Regiment) pulled out a revolver and shot Welch once.  Welch fell mortally wounded.  The soldier was apprehended, but later escaped custody.  He was never found.  Welch’s wound was considered fatal at the time.  He was cared for until his death on Wednesday, August 8th, 1866 at about 4 pm.

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K9 Kobus

Omaha Police Department, NE
EOW: Saturday, January 23, 2016
Cause: Gunfire