Patrolman Miles Cunningham

Miles Cunningham

Officer Miles Cunningham was shot and killed while investigating a car accident.

A little after 12:15 AM on the morning of September 22, Officer Miles Cunningham and his partner Maurice Fitzgerald, were just starting their beats. Standing at the southwest corner of Halsted and West Adams streets, the two officers ran toward a Hudson that had just collided with a Ford coupe at the intersection. Unknown to the two officers, the occupants of the Hudson had just robbed two Federal Reserve messengers moments before. Officer Fitzgerald headed for the Ford, while Officer Cunningham ran for the Hudson. As the occupants of the Hudson exited their vehicle, one of them opened fire on Officer Cunningham, killing him instantly.

The suspect who fired the shots was Bryan Bolton, of the Barker-Karpis Gang. The other occupants of the car were Alvin Karpis, Fred Barker, Doc Barker, "Shotgun" George Ziegler, and Bryan Bolton. Of the gang, Karpis was arrested on May 1, 1936. Doc Barker and Bryan Bolton were arrested separately on January 8, 1935. Fred Barker was killed in a shootout with the FBI in Florida on January 16, 1935. "Shotgun" George Ziegler was murdered by fellow gangsters in Chicago on March 10, 1934.

Patrolman Cunningham was survived by his wife and two children.