Patrolman Charles B. Walsh, Chicago Police Department, Illinois

Patrolman Charles B. Walsh

Chicago Police Department, Illinois

End of Watch Saturday, June 13, 1925

Charles B. Walsh

Patrolman Charles Walsh and Patrolman Harold Olson were shot and killed while chasing three mobsters who had just attempted to assassinate one of their rivals. The car carrying the suspects crashed in the 5900 block of South Western Avenue, and the three men exited the car and opened fire on the officers with shotguns.

Patrolman Olson and Patrolman Walsh were fatally wounded and a third patrolman was seriously wounded. The fourth officer returned fire, killing one of the suspects. The officer also chased and apprehended the remaining two suspects.

The two suspects were acquitted by a jury but later murdered by Al Capone in 1929. The two men were hitmen for Al Capone when they murdered Patrolman Olson and Patrolman Walsh. Another one of Al Capone's hitmen murdered Patrolman Charles Skalay, of the St. Joseph, Michigan, Police Department, on December 14th, 1929.

Patrolman Walsh had served with the Chicago Police Department for 2-1/2 years and was assigned to the Detective Division Ford Squad 8 C. He was survived by his wife, son, and two daughters.

Bio

Age 30
Tour 2 years, 7 months
Badge 2811

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Weapon Shotgun
Offender One shot and killed

Most Recent Reflection

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My grandfather (Detective William Sweeney) was the officer who returned fire killing Mike “The Devil” Genna and arresting the hit men (murdering savages) Scalise and Anselmi whom Capone would later kill with a baseball bat at a black tie dinner. A Hollywood version of this killing is in the movie “The Untouchables”.

RIP officers Walsh and Olson! My grandfather was bribed ($25,000) and when this was refused his apartment bombed but he testified nonetheless in order to see justice for these two fallen officers but Capone’s bribing of the jurists allowed the killers to go free.

Detective William Sweeney’s grandson
Grandson to Detective William Sweeney

March 11, 2018