Sergeant James R. Schaffer

James R. Schaffer

Sergeant James Schaffer and Detective Jerome A. Stubig were killed near the beginning of a rampage by a berserk gunman.

Sergeant Schaffer and Detective Stubig were the first to arrive at the scene where two fellow officers had been shot. Six policemen and two civilians were also injured in the six hour gun battle between a former marine, and hundreds of heavily armed police at 9521 S. Exchange.

The explosion from a bomb thrown at the two officers by the suspect, first injured both men. As they laid injured, the suspect emptied his carbine into both men, killing them.

The incident began when two detectives knocked on the suspect’s door and announced they were police officers. He answered the knock with gunfire.

The suspect surrendered to Police Superintendent James Rochford at 9:00 p.m. that evening.

Sergeant Schaffer was an Army veteran of World War II. His wife and daughter survive him.