Sergeant Jeffry Kowalski, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri

Sergeant Jeffry Kowalski

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri

End of Watch Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Jeffry Kowalski

Sergeant Jeffry Kowalski succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained 21 years earlier while chasing two robbery suspects. During the pursuit he was shot once in the abdomen, causing severe internal injuries.

In the spring of 2008 Sergeant Kowalski was diagnosed with cancer that had attacked organs which had been severely wounded by the shooting and subsequent surgeries. He passed away as a result several months later.

Sergeant Kowalski had served with the agency for 21 years.

Bio

Age 50
Tour 21 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause Gunfire
Incident Date Not available
Weapon Gun; Unknown type
Offender Not available

Most Recent Reflection

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I was working, the night Jeff and his partner were ambushed in the Cabanne Courts housing project. My partner and I were downtown, booking a prisoner. We responded to block an intersection on Kingshighway, to facilitate the ambulance conveying Jeff to Barnes Hospital. Jeff told everyone that I picked him-up, out of the snow, because he was freezing. I was not at the scene and was not going to take credit for that, but his doctor instructed me to go along with what Jeff was saying. The officer who picked Jeff up, out of the snow, was Officer Brian Bennett, who left the department shortly after the incident.

Years later, I would see Jeff in the neighborhood, with his two small children. I can say Jeff enjoyed his life after the shooting. Jeff never talked about the incident and neither did I. RIP Jeff.

Sgt. Leroy Nunnally DSN 0210, ret.
SLMPD-Mobile Rserve &a District 7

October 1, 2017