Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway Police Department, Railroad Police
End of Watch: Monday, August 7, 1922
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 7, 1922
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Chief of Detectives Phillip Reitz was shot and killed after responding to a call of a citizen who feared for his life during a labor unrest.
At about 4:30 am, a non-striking railroad shop foreman was being threatened by 500 striking workers who had surrounded his house on the 600 block of Garnsey Avenue in Joliet. When officers arrived, the railroad workers fatally shot Chief Reitz in the heart, killing him instantly.
The striker who allegedly shot Chief Reitz was shot and killed by the Will County Sheriff, who was also wounded in the head and leg.