Police Officer Chauncey B. Esch
Oak Park Police Department
Illinois
End of Watch: Friday, January 21, 1938

Biographical Info
Age: Not available
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Badge Number: 300

Incident Details
Cause of Death: Train accident
Date of Incident: Friday, January 21, 1938
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available

Officer Esch was struck and killed by a train while escorting a prisoner back to the police station.

Officer Esch had chased down and captured a sixteen year old purse snatcher. At the time, the Chicago and Northwestern Marion Street station was located at ground level and Officer Esch was walk his prisoner back to the station along the railroad embankment. They were just west of the train station when Officer Esch was struck from behind by a backing eastbound passenger train. Five cars and the tender passed over him, fracturing his skull and amputating his legs. His prisoner was uninjured and testified at the inquest that he had not seen nor heard the train until suddenly there was a thud and Officer Esch disappeared beneath its wheels. Evidence submitted suggested that the lights on the train that ran him down were inadequate.

Officer Esch was survived by his wife and three children. Officer Esch was a ten year veteran of the police department who spent the majority of his career in the "Lake-Marion-Harlem district". He was buried in Elmlawn Cemetery, Elmhurst.