Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 27 years, 8 months, 22 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: Bureau of Operational Services - Traffic Division (TD): Unit 151 - Traffic Enforcement Section
District of Incident (Present Day): 011 - Harrison
Cause of Death: Crash - Automobile (Pursuit)
Age at Time of Death: 51
Timeline
Date of Birth: 06 Jun 1932
Date of Appointment: 16 May 1956
Date of Incident: 011 - Harrison
End of Watch: 07 Feb 1984
Date of Interment: 10 Feb 1984
Interment Details
Cemetery: Evergreen Cemetery - Evergreen Park, Illinois
Grave Location: Unknown
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # D-7
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 18
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 3, Line 40
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 41-E: 10
Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed
Service
Military Service: U.S. Coast Guard
Incident & Biographic Details
Sergeant John James Collins, Star #1006, aged 51 years, was a 27 year, 8 month, 22 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the Bureau of Operational Services – Traffic Division (TD): Unit 151 – Traffic Enforcement Section.
Sergeant John James Collins, Star #1006, aged 51 years, was a 27 year, 8 month, 22 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the Bureau of Operational Services – Traffic Division (TD): Unit 151 – Traffic Enforcement Section.
On February 7, 1984, at 4:50 a.m., Sergeant Collins was working beat 3210 in marked police vehicle #9922 when he began pursuing a traffic violator on the 2800 block of West Van Buren Street. He was chasing a 1972-73 Buick, black or brown in color, with his emergency equipment activated. While in pursuit, the fleeing vehicle struck the right front of Sergeant Collins’ car, forcing it into the rear of a parked truck at 2919 West Van Buren Street. The collision pushed the truck into a cyclone fence damaging approximately 20 feet of the fence. The fleeing vehicle continued to flee westbound, proceeded through a red light at Sacramento Avenue, and entered the Eisenhower Expressway headed Westbound. Sergeant Collins lost consciousness and was found slumped over the wheel after a citizen called 911 to report the crash. Responding units along with fire arrived and found the sergeant unconscious behind the wheel. A witness, Mr. Mallory Dyer, age 25, of 2918 West Van Buren Street, was able to give investigating officers a full picture of events. Sergeant Collins was transported to Mount Sinai Hospital by CFD Ambulance #33 where he was pronounced dead at 6:55 a.m. on February 7, 1984. He had regained consciousness at the hospital shortly after arriving and suffered a heart attack shortly thereafter. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled the cause of death to be from blunt trauma, a trans-section of the thoracic and spine, a broken neck.
Sergeant Collins was waked at Blake-Lamb Funeral Home located at 10456 South Western Avenue and was laid to rest on February 10, 1984 in Evergreen Cemetery, 3401 West 87th Street, Evergreen Park, Illinois.
Sergeant John James Collins, born June 6, 1932, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on November 13, 1967 and was issued Star # Unknown. On March 4, 1969, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and issued Star #1006. He previously served on the Area 2 and Area 4 Task Forces during his career.
Sergeant Collins served in the U.S. Coast Guard from March 5, 1952 to March 4, 1955 and was Honorably Discharged at the rank of Seaman. He was also a member of the Police Benevolent & Protective Association. Sergeant Collins was survived by his wife: Joyce Ann (nee Albino) and children: Curt Edwin, age 18, Glenn, age 21, Jacqueline Judith, age 25, Kim (ISP), age 29 and Todd Matthew, age15. He was preceded in death by his parents: Colette (nee Liston) and John.
Incident Recorded Under Chicago Police Department RD #F768771.
On June 27, 2007, Sergeant Collins’ star was retired by Superintendent Philip J. Cline and enshrined in the Superintendent’s Honored Star Case, located in the lobby at Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue.
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