Death Classification: Line of Duty Death

Agency: Chicago Police Department

Served: 3 years, 10 months, 28 days

Unit of Assignment / Detail: 24th District - Lawndale

District of Incident (Present Day): 010 - Ogden

Cause of Death: Crash - Motorcycle (Pursuit)

Age at Time of Death: 30

Timeline


Date of Birth: 24 Dec 1927

Date of Appointment: 16 Feb 1954

Date of Incident: 010 - Ogden

End of Watch: 13 Jan 1958

Date of Interment: 17 Jan 1958

 

Interment Details


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

 

Memorial Details


Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # D-9

Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 20

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


Patrolman Zollie B. Reiger, Star #5517, aged 30 years, was a 3 year, 10 month, 28 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 24th District – Lawndale.

On January 13, 1958, Officer Reiger was riding his 3-wheel motorcycle on the 3000 block of South Ogden Avenue about 300 feet west of Sacramento Boulevard when he was fatally injured. The officer was in pursuit of a speeding vehicle on the service drive of Ogden Avenue when his motorcycle was forced over a curb causing him to lose control and strike a tree. Officer Reiger was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Chicago Park District Policemen Michael Bolton and Eugene Niziolek were at 2733 South Ogden avenue when a motorcyclist told them that a Cadillac car had struck a motorcycle policeman. The officers responded to the scene and found Officer Reiger lying near his damaged motorcycle. Park Policeman Boltan said Reiger had been driving Westbound when he pulled alongside the car and then was forced over a curb as the speeding car crowded him off the street. The car was described as a 1954 or 1955 Cadillac green in color. Police appealed for witnesses to come forward, the driver of the Cadillac has not been identified and is still at large.

Officer Reiger’s funeral service was held at Unity Funeral Parlor located at 4114 South Michigan Avenue. He was laid to rest on January 17, 1958 in Lincoln Cemetery, 12300 South Kedzie Avenue, Chicago, Illinois.

Patrolman Zollie B. Reiger, born December 24, 1927, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on February 16, 1954.

Officer Reiger was survived by his wife, Teresa; mother, Jesse (nee Rosemond) and siblings: Jesse (CPD), Mary Jane and Novel Leon. He was preceded in death by his father, Leon.

On June 25, 2013, Officer Reiger’s star was retired by Superintendent Garry McCarthy and enshrined in the Superintendent’s Honored Star Case, located in the lobby at Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue.