Chicago Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Sunday, February 7, 1954
Age: 60
Tour of Duty: 30 years
Badge Number: 1831
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 7, 1954
Weapon Used: Shotgun; 16 gauge
Suspect Info: Deceased
Detective Jeremiah Lucey and Detective Roman Steinke were fatally wounded at 2705 W. Diversey Avenue by the owner of a laundry they were attempting to arrest.
The detectives had gone to the laundry and attempted to arrest the laundry owner for slapping a boy. The man claimed he did not know that Detective Steinke and Detective Lucey were police officers but instead thought the plainclothes officers had come into his shop to beat him.
After the shooting, the man barricaded himself in the laundry and held 150 policemen at bay for 30 minutes before he was captured. He was also critically wounded in the battle and died in the hospital 10 weeks later.
Detective Roman Steinke succumbed to his wounds and died one week later.
Detective Lucey was a United States Army WWI veteran and had served with the Chicago Polie Department for 30 years and was assigned to the Shakespeare District. Detective Lucey was survived by his wife and two children.