Cleveland Division of Police, Ohio
End of Watch: Monday, March 20, 1933
Age:
Tour of Duty: 1 year
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 13, 1928
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Executed in 1929
Patrolman George 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 customer had recognized the suspect and called the 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 Anthony 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. In 1927, the subject 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. The subject and a gang he formed 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 at the Detroit News business office. The subject 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 Cleveland Division of Police for 1 year at the time of the shooting.