Patrolman Strouse | Star #15806

Patrolman Brian Timothy Strouse, Star #15806, aged 33 years, was a 6 year, 5 month, 25 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 12th District – Monroe Tactical Unit.

On June 30, 2001, at 2:00 a.m., Officer Strouse and his partners, Patrolmen Luis Estrada and Carlos Iglesias, were working the third watch on beat 1261B. All three officers were working as a plain-clothes tactical officers. They were conducting a surveillance of gang activity near West 18th Place and South Loomis Street. He was walking in an alley at 1835 South Loomis Street when Hector Sanchez Delgado, age 16, who was working “security“ for the Ambrose Nation gang drug operation spotted Officer Strouse. Wearing a bulletproof vest and a police badge on his utility belt, Strouse yelled out, “Police, drop your gun.“ The boy opened fire, firing five times. Officer Strouse attempted to dive for cover behind a car and was struck once in the front of his bulletproof vest and once in the hip. As he reached cover he was struck once more in the chin, the bullet exiting the back of his head. Officer Strouse’s partners ran toward the sound of the gunfire where they found Officer Strouse laying on the ground. Officer Strouse was transported to Cook County Hospital by CFD Ambulance #45 where he was pronounced dead by Dr. An at 9:09 a.m. on June 30, 2001. Delgado was taken into custody minutes later near the 1300 block of West 18th Place. The .40 caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic pistol used to kill Officer Strouse, with Delgado’s fingerprints on the magazine, was recovered next to a fence about five blocks from the shooting.

During a videotaped interrogation, Hector Delgado confessed to shooting Officer Strouse in the alley thinking he was a rival La Raza gang member. Delgado also had a previous conviction for criminal sexual assault after he had forced a 4-year-old girl to perform oral sex on him. On September 17, 2003, Hector Delgado was convicted of 1st degree murder. On December 8, 2003, he was sentenced to life in prison.

Officer Strouse was waked at Ridgemoor Chapels located at 6453 West Irving Park Road. His funeral mass was held at Edgebrook Lutheran Church located at 5252 West Devon Avenue. He was laid to rest on July 5, 2001 in Mount Emblem Cemetery, 520 East Grand Avenue, Elmhurst, Illinois.

Patrolman Brian Timothy Strouse, born June 1, 1968, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on January 3, 1995. He earned 1 Life Saving Award and 61 Honorable Mentions during his Career.

Officer Strouse served in the U.S. Marine Corps, was a veteran of the Gulf War and was Honorably Discharged. He was also a member of the Fraternal Order of Police. Officer Strouse was survived by his parents, Ann Marie (nee Shea) and Paul A. and siblings: Cynthia, Kathleen Noncz (CPD) and Paula.

Incident Recorded Under Chicago Police Department RD #G380439.

On June 30, 2001, Officer Strouse’s star was retired by Superintendent Terry G. Hillard and enshrined in the Superintendent’s Honored Star Case, located in the lobby at Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue.

Sometime between July 2001 and 2007, the 1300 block of West 18th Place was dedicated as “Honorary Officer Brian Strouse Way.” Two brown honorary street signs were erected. One on the Southeast corner of 18th Place and Throop Street and the other on the Northwest corner of 18th Place and Loomis Street in the heart of the Pilsen community where Officer Strouse was killed in the line of duty.