Death Classification: Line of Duty Death

Agency: Chicago Police Department

Served: 14 years, 10 months, 10 days

Unit of Assignment / Detail: District 10, 27th Precinct - Desplaines

District of Incident (Present Day): 001 - Central

Cause of Death: Aggravated Battery - Blunt Trauma

Age at Time of Death: 43

Timeline


Date of Birth: Apr 1862

Date of Appointment: 03 Apr 1891

Date of Incident: 001 - Central

End of Watch: 13 Feb 1906

Date of Interment: 16 Feb 1906

 

Interment Details


 Cemetery: Rosehill Cemetery - Chicago, Illinois
 Grave Location: Unknown
 Interment Disposition: Burial

 

Memorial Details


Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Not Enshrined

Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 7

Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Not Listed

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Not Listed

Officer Down Memorial Page: Not Listed

 

Service


 Military Service: No Military Record Found

 

Incident & Biographic Details


Detective Sergeant Austin B. Woolsey, Star # Unknown, aged 43 years, was a 14 year, 10 month, 10 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to District 10, 27th Precinct – Desplaines.

On approximately November 23, 1902, Detective Sergeant Woolsey arrested Thomas Brady, age 65, a blind man. During the arrest, Detective Sergeant Woolsey suffered a blow to the head by Brady’s cane and sustained a concussion. The injuries he sustained were so serious that he never fully recovered from the concussion suffering debilitating side effects. Detective Woolsey died four years later on February 13, 1906 due to the injuries resulting from this incident.

Thomas Brady was later released on a promise of good behavior. On November 29, 1906, while at Madison and Union Streets he once again became enraged swinging his heavy cane upon a group of people. He became enraged after several passerby failed to give heed to his appeals as he was peddling. Several small boys also tormented him. He struck Miss Gazalla Maskovitz, age 26 of 204 West 12th Street, with his cane. She sustained a dislocation of her jaw and three of her teeth were knocked out. Brady was then arrested and taken to the Desplaines Street station.

Detective Sergeant Woolsey was waked at his residence located at No. 215 South Sacramento Avenue (present day 310 South Sacramento Avenue), his funeral service was also held in his residence. He was laid to rest on February 16, 1906 in Rosehill Cemetery, 5800 North Ravenswood Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.

Detective Sergeant Austin B. Woolsey, born in April 1862, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on April 3, 1891.

Detective Sergeant Woolsey was survived by his wife, Bessie B. (nee Quinn) and son, Joseph P.

Chicago Police Historical Homicide Database case not found for this incident.