Death Classification: Line of Duty Death

Agency: Chicago Police Department

Served: 14 years, 2 months, 1 day

Unit of Assignment / Detail: Bureau of Staff Services - Training Division

District of Incident (Present Day): Burr Ridge, IL

Cause of Death: Gunfire - Friendly (Accidental)

Age at Time of Death: 38

Timeline


Date of Birth: 03 Nov 1923

Date of Appointment: 24 May 1948

Date of Incident: Burr Ridge, IL

End of Watch: 25 Jul 1962

Date of Interment: 28 Jul 1962

 

Interment Details


 Cemetery: St. Joseph Cemetery - River Grove, Illinois
 Grave Location: Lot W1/2 of Sub 2 of 40, Block 1, Section K
 Interment Disposition: Burial

 

Memorial Details


Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Not Enshrined

Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 6

Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 3, Line 9

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 16-E: 7

Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed

 

Service


 Military Service: U.S. Army

 

Incident & Biographic Details


Patrolman James O’Neil Sexton, Star #11379, aged 38 years, was a 14 year, 2 month, 1 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the Bureau of Staff Services – Training Division.

On July 25, 1962, Officer Sexton was on duty at the Chicago Police Department’s Canine Corps School located at 7900 South County Line Road, Burr Ridge, Illinois working as an instructor. Patrolman Daniel Scanlan, age 27, also an instructor, was handling Officer Sexton’s gun. He was instructing Sergeant James Cagney that preparatory to training a dog was to threaten it with an empty gun. Officer Scanlon took several rounds from the gun and apparently thinking he had emptied it the handed it back to Officer Sexton. As he was handing it back, the weapon discharged striking Patrolman Sexton in the chest just below the heart. Patrolman Sexton was transported to Hinsdale Sanitarium where he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving.

Officer Sexton was waked at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home located on 79th Street at Loomis Boulevard. His funeral mass was held at St. Symphorosa Catholic Church located at 6135 South Austin Avenue. He was laid to rest on July 28, 1962 in St. Joseph Cemetery, 3100 North Thatcher Avenue, River Grove, Illinois. His grave is located in Lot W1/2 of Sub 2 of 40, Block 1, Section K.

Patrolman James O’Neil Sexton, born November 3, 1923, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on May 24, 1948.

Officer Sexton served in the U.S. Army and was Honorably Discharged. He was also a member of the Chicago Policemen’s Benevolent & Welfare Association and the St. Jude Police League. Officer Sexton was survived by his wife, Helene (nee Chitkowski); children: Colleen, Kathleen and Susan R.; parents: James P. and Josephine and siblings: Clarence N., Dorothy Krivickas and Edmund J.