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| Patrolman George C. Effinger
Cleveland Police Department
Ohio
End of Watch: Monday, March 20, 1933 Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Badge Number: Not available Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Thursday, September 13, 1928
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Executed in 1929 Patrolman Effinger succumbed to wounds sustained 5 years earlier when he and four other officers went to a restaurant on East 55th Street to arrest a Pennsylvania prison escapee. A cutomer had recognized the suspect and called police. When they arrived they approached the man with their guns holstered in order to not incite a shooting match. The suspect, however, opened fire, striking Patrolman Wieczorek four times and striking Patrolman George Effinger once. Patrolman Wieczorek was taken to a local hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. Patrolman Effinger succumbed to his wound on March 20, 1933.
The suspect, who had been shot and wounded during the incident, was apprehended. The suspect was Paul Jawarski, Pennsylvania's most notorious gangster, leader of the "Flathead Gang", responsible for hold-ups in various parts of the country. Jawarski boasted that had killed as many as 26 men.
In 1927 Jawarski was convicted of the murder of a payroll guard in Pittsburgh on December 23, 1925, and sentenced to death. On August 18, 1927 he and another death row inmate shot their way out of the Allegheny County Jail in Pittsburgh. Jawarski and a gang he developed were responsible for several hold-ups and murders until his capture. On June 25, 1928, he shot and killed Sergeant George Barstad of the Detroit Police Department during a hold-up of the Detroit News business office.
Paul Jawarski recovered from his wounds and was returned to Pennsylvania where he was executed in the electric chair on January 20, 1929.
Patrolman Effinger had only served with the agency for 1 year at the time of the shooting. Related Line of Duty Deaths | |
