Death Classification: Line of Duty Death

Agency: Chicago Police Department

Served: 7 years, 10 months, 13 days

Unit of Assignment / Detail: 40th District - Summerdale

District of Incident (Present Day): 014 - Shakespeare

Cause of Death: Gunfire - Enemy

Age at Time of Death: 36

Timeline


Date of Birth: 29 Sep 1895

Date of Appointment: 31 Jan 1924

Date of Incident: 014 - Shakespeare

End of Watch: 13 Dec 1931

Date of Interment: 17 Dec 1931

 

Interment Details


 Cemetery: St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery - Niles, Illinois
 Grave Location: Lot 13, Block F, Section 9
 Interment Disposition: Burial

 

Memorial Details


Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # C-3

Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 9

Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 2, Line 31

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 1-E: 17

Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed

 

Service


 Military Service: No Military Record Found

 

Incident & Biographic Details


Patrolman Michael W. Oakley, Star #5445, aged 36 years, was a 7 year, 10 month, 13 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 40th District – Summerdale.

On December 12, 1931, at 1:30 a.m., Officer Oakley, in citizen’s dress, was on his way home, walking northbound on Damen Avenue, on the east side of the street. As he approached, approximately 30 feet south of, Bloomingdale Road (present day Bloomingdale Avenue) an unknown man stepped out of an areaway between a building and the track elevation of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad. The man was holding a handkerchief to his face with one hand and a gun in the other, and attempted to rob him. Officer Oakley, whose right hand rested on his revolver in his overcoat pocket, fired a shot through his coat before drawing the weapon. The bandit fired at the same time inflicting a fatal wound but as Oakley fell he fired four more shots at his fleeing assailant. The offender was uninjured and remains unidentified. Officer Oakley was transported to St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:30 a.m. on December 13, 1931.

On January 5, 1932, a Coroner’s Jury returned a verdict of “Murder by unknown person in the act of a hold up.“

Officer Oakley was laid to rest on December 17, 1931 in St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery, 6800 North Milwaukee Avenue, Niles, Illinois. His grave is located in Lot 13, Block F, Section 9.

Patrolman Michael W. Oakley, born September 29, 1895, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on January 31, 1924.

Officer Oakley was survived by his mother, father and sister.