Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 6 years, 4 months, 27 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: 4th District - Stanton
District of Incident (Present Day): 002 - Wentworth
Cause of Death: Gunfire - Enemy
Age at Time of Death: 35
Timeline
Date of Birth: 17 Dec 1892
Date of Appointment: 11 Jul 1922
Date of Incident: 002 - Wentworth
End of Watch: 08 Dec 1928
Date of Interment: 11 Dec 1928
Interment Details
Cemetery: Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery - Chicago, Illinois
Grave Location: Unknown
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # B-12
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 15
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 2, Line 24
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 45-E: 1
Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed
Service
Military Service: No Military Record Found
Incident & Biographic Details
Patrolman Michael James Lynch, Star #5343, aged 35 years, was a 6 year, 4 month, 27 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 4th District – Stanton.
On December 8, 1928, at 5:35 p.m., Officer Lynch, on special detail, was assigned to guard the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (A&P) Store located at 458 East 37th Street. Officer Lynch was one of several officers on special assignment from his station. The men were detailed to the stores after a recent string of robberies by a gang who had been terrorizing the neighborhood for weeks. Lynch had special orders to remain concealed and keep watch if he encountered the robbers. While at the store three armed men, Ira Borner, Clarence Cook and Henry Dixon, alias Sampson entered and announced a robbery. Unable, in good faith, to follow his orders he disobeyed and emerged from the shadows attempting to frustrate the holdup. Dixon immediately fired at the officer from close range, shooting multiple times. Officer Lynch collapsed to the floor as the robbers fled the scene making good their escape. Lynch died at the scene a short time later.
On December 11, 1928, Borner, Cook and Dixon were apprehended and booked for murder after making a full confession. On December 12, 1928 all three were held to the Grand Jury by the Coroner, Dixon as principal and the other two as accessories. Dixon was also identified as the murderer of Peter Lynch, a druggist, on November 14, 1928 and William Piun, a patron in another drug store, on November 10, 1928. On August 9, 1928, Dixon was sentenced to life in the Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet by Judge J. Sullivan. On August 9, 1929, both Barner’s and Cook’s cases were stricken off the record by Judge J. Sullivan.
Officer Lynch was waked at his residence located at 7758 South Ada Street. His funeral mass was held in Requiem at St. Sabina Church located at 1210 West 78th Place. He was laid to rest on December 11, 1928 in Mount Olivet Catholic Cemetery, 2755 West 111th Street, Chicago, Illinois.
Patrolman Michael James Lynch, born December 17, 1892, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on July 11, 1922.
Officer Lynch was a member of Perez Council No. 1444 Knights of Columbus and the Chicago Police Benevolent & Protective Association. He was survived by his wife, Veronica (nee McFadden), age 35; children: Joseph B., age 13, Mary Veronica, age 6, Rita, age 2 months, Thomas Martin, age 12; father, Thomas and siblings: Catherine Reilly, Dennis, Mary, Owen and Thomas. He was preceded in death by his son, Harold F., age 5. His son Joseph would later become a Chicago Police Officer.
Incident recorded under Chicago Police Historical Homicide Database, Case #10435.
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