Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 29 years, 0 months, 29 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: Bureau of Operational Services - Traffic Division (TD): Unit 086 - Traffic Area 6 Group
District of Incident (Present Day): 019 - Town Hall
Cause of Death: Crash - Automobile
Age at Time of Death: 58
Timeline
Date of Birth: 08 Dec 1919
Date of Appointment: 16 Aug 1949
Date of Incident: 019 - Town Hall
End of Watch: 14 Sep 1978
Date of Interment: 18 Sep 1978
Interment Details
Cemetery: St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery - Niles, Illinois
Grave Location: Grave 1, Lot 7, Block C, Section 54
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # D-6
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 3
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 3, Line 33
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 19-W: 9
Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed
Service
Military Service: U.S. Army
Incident & Biographic Details
Sergeant Anthony Frank Janowski, Sr., Star #1555, aged 58 years, was a 29 year, 0 month, 29 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, beginning his career on August 16, 1949, assigned to the Bureau of Operational Services – Traffic Division (TD): Unit 086 – Traffic Area 6 Group.
On September 14, 1978, at 2:45 a.m., Sergeant Janowski had just completed a traffic accident report and was en route to Illinois Masonic Hospital to investigate a separate traffic fatality when his squad car was broadsided on the driver’s side by a 1978 Chevy Blazer in the intersection of Addison Street and Racine Avenue on the Southeast corner. The driver of the vehicle, Eliseo Rivera, Jr., age 25, of 2000 West Summerdale Avenue, failed to stop at a traffic light and was driving drunk. The impact of the crash caused the squad car to tail spin, jump a curb, strike a light pole and crash into a building. The sound of the crash caught the attention of an off duty CFD Paramedic, Robert J. Moser, who lived nearby. The paramedic rushed to the scene pulled the sergeant from the wreckage and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Sergeant Jankowski was transported to Illinois Masonic Hospital by CFD Ambulance #13 where he was pronounced dead by Dr. Zina at 3:00 a.m. on September 14, 1978.
Eliseo Rivera was arrested and charged with reckless homicide, driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to stop.
Sergeant Janowski was waked at Schielka Funeral Home located at 7710 West Addison Street. His funeral mass was held at St. Francis Borgia Church located at 8033 West Addison Avenue. He was laid to rest on September 18, 1978 in St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery, 6800 North Milwaukee Avenue, Niles, Illinois. His grave is located in Grave 1, Lot 7, Block C, Section 54.
Sergeant Anthony Frank Janowski,, Sr., born December 8, 1919, was Appointed to the Chicago Park District Police Department on August 16, 1949 and was issued Park Patrolman Star #707. On January 1, 1959, he was laterally transferred to the Chicago Police Department and issued Patrolman Star #11707. On January 2, 1961, he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and issued Star #1404. On July 1, 1977, he was issued Sergeant Star #1404 after reporting his previous star lost.
Sergeant Janowski served in the U.S. Army from March 18, 1943 thru February 8, 1946, was a veteran of World War II and was Honorably Discharged at the rank of Corporal. He was also a member of the Chicago Patrolmen’s Association, Chicago Police Sergeant’s Association, Illinois Police Association, Polish American Police Association and the St. Jude Police League. Sergeant Janowski was survived by his wife, Angeline Gabraleen (nee Dziagwa), age 60; daughter, Gloria Ann, age 26; mother Agnes (nee Plapoczynski) and siblings: Helen, Bernice La Bud, Clara Dame and Leroy Stanley (CPD). He was proceded in death by his son, Anthony Frank, Jr., age 23; Father, Anthony and brother, Vincent Anthony.
Incident Recorded Under Chicago Police Department RD #Z332942 Hospitalization Case Report and Z903896 Traffic Crash Report.
On May 25, 2006, Officer Janowski’s 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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