Chicago Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch Tuesday, May 4, 1886
Add to My HeroesMathias J. Degan
Officer Mathias J. Degan was with other officers assigned to disperse crowds near Haymarket Square. A bomb was thrown and exploded amidst the officers. Officer Degan was struck by shrapnel. He was the first of eight officers to die in what is known as the historic Haymarket Tragedy.
Officer Degan served with the Chicago Police Department for a year and a half and was assigned to the 3rd Precinct. Officer Degan was a widower who was survived by his son; he is buried in Saint Boniface Cemetery, Chicago, Illinois.
Eight men were arrested and charged with the officers' murders. Seven were convicted of murder and sentenced to death. The other one was sentenced to 15 years. On November 11, 1887, four of them were executed by hanging. The day before, one of the suspects killed himself in his cell with a smuggled dynamite cap which he detonated in his mouth. The other three were pardoned by Governor Altgeld in 1893. Of the eight charged, historical reports note only two were at the scene. The bomber was never correctly identified or brought to court.
Eight police officers were killed during the Haymarket Riot labor dispute. The officers were at the scene of a civil disorder when the rioters opened fire and threw a bomb into the crowd. Eight police officers suffered fatal wounds and 70 other people were injured by the gunfire and explosion.
The officers who were killed included Patrolman Mathias Degan, Patrolman John Barrett, Patrolman George Miller, Patrolman Timothy Flavin, Patrolman Thomas Redden, Patrolman Nels Hansen and Patrolman Michael Sheehan. Patrolman Timothy Sullivan succumbed to his wounds two years later, on June 13, 1888.
Bio
- Age 34
- Tour 1 year, 6 months
- Badge 648
Incident Details
- Cause Bomb
- Weapon Explosives; Bomb
- Offender Four executed
Most Recent Reflection
View all 8 ReflectionsThis was my great great grandfather. Thank you so much for remembering him. Our family is so touched. I pray for God to protect you and all officers that sacrifice their lives daily to protect us. Sonia Degan
Sonia Kladis
Great great grandaugter
August 10, 2020
Recent LODD Deaths

Deputy Sheriff Carlos Antonio Hernandez
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: April 11, 2021

Police Officer David Parde
Lexington Police Department, NC
EOW: April 17, 2021

Border Patrol Agent Christopher Shane Simpkins
United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - United States Border Patrol, US
EOW: April 12, 2021

Deputy Sheriff Thomas Patrick Barnes
Jefferson Davis County Sheriff's Department, MS
EOW: April 10, 2021

Sergeant James K. Smith
Iowa State Patrol, IA
EOW: April 9, 2021

Police Officer Brent Nelson Hall
Newton Grove Police Department, NC
EOW: April 3, 2021

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Wilson Knight
Bibb County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: April 6, 2021

Chief of Police Fred Alan Posavetz
Clinton Township Police Department, MI
EOW: March 22, 2021

Corrections Officer Luis Arturo Hernandez, Sr.
Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Correctional Institutions Division, TX
EOW: March 31, 2021