Erie County Sheriff's Office, New York
End of Watch: Thursday, November 4, 1948
Age: 49
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Assault
Date of Incident: November 3, 1948
Weapon Used: Blunt object
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Deputy Joseph Wachowiak succumbed to head injuries after being struck on the head during a jail escape involving five inmates at the Erie County Jail in Buffalo.
At 9:00 p.m., when the inmates were being locked in their cells for the night, a prisoner grabbed a hidden mop handle, beat Deputy Wachowiak, and locked him in a jail cell. He rallied four other prisoners to escape with him.
All five were captured. The 31-year-old leader was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life. He died in Dannemora Prison on November 1, 1954.
Deputy Wachowiak was survived by his wife and three children.