Month: January 2020

Appointed – August 29, 1912

End of Watch – June 24, 1919

On the evening of Monday, June 23, Motorcycle Officer George A Woessner was responding to an accident at 16th Street and Chicago Avenue where a hit-and-run driver had struck and killed a streetcar conductor as he stepped off his streetcar and then driven through the crowd of passengers of disembarking passengers. 

Officer Woessner was at 22nd Avenue South and Lake Street when he swerved to miss a car driving the wrong way.  He hit the curb and was thrown into a tree.  He was killed instantly. 

Officer Woessner was 36 years old and had been with the department for seven years. Before joining the motorcycle patrol, he was a patrol officer at the North Side Station. 

Officer Woessner was survived by his wife.  They lived at 1804 Park Avenue.  His funeral was held at Snell’s Undertaking at 20th and Bryant Avenues North. He was buried at LaCrosse, Wisconsin on June 26, 1919.

Appointed – February 18, 1943

End of Watch – June 6, 1945

Officer Marvin A Wicklund joined the Minneapolis Police Department on February 18, 1943.  Because he was married with three children, and because being a police officer was considered a vital occupation, Officer Wicklund was unsuccessful in his first three attempts to enlist.  On August 1, 1944, he was finally accepted by the Marines.

Officer Wicklund was assigned to Company H, Third Battalion, 29th Marines, 6th Division.  He took part in the invasion of Okinawa.  In action against Japanese forces on June 6, 1945, he was killed by a sniper.  Officer Wicklund was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart, Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, Victory Medal World War II and a Presidential Unit Citation with ribbon and star for “extraordinary heroism in action.”

Officer Wicklund was 30 years old at the time of his death.  He lived at 3923 Upton Avenue North in Minneapolis with his wife, Mina, and their children.  He was buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl.  

Officer Wicklund was the only member of the Minneapolis Police Department ever to be killed while on military duty.

Appointed – December 28, 1920

End of Watch –  December 24, 1930

On December 8, 1930, Minneapolis police detectives, acting on a tip, raided an apartment at 825 8th Street South and discovered a criminal hideout just organized in Minneapolis.  Police arrested one man and also seized a large weapons arsenal containing shotguns, pistols, ammunition, tear gas, and a submachine gun.  After the discovery, Detectives Harry Parker and Dan Noonan stayed behind to try to catch two bank robbers from Chicago who were being sought as the leaders of the gang and who were expected to arrive at the apartment later.  On December 9, around 6:00 pm, the detectives heard footsteps and then a knock at the door.  The bank robbers entered and the detectives identified themselves.  Gunfire commenced leaving Detective Parker critically wounded and one of the assailants dead.  Detective Noonan called for back-up and an ambulance and Detective Parker was transported to Minneapolis General Hospital.  His condition improved after surgery and he was transferred to St Barnabas Hospital where he continued to improved.  Then, shortly before Christmas, Detective Parker’s health began to decline.  He was transferred home for Christmas to spend time with his wife, his son, and his daughter.  He lost consciousness on December 23 and passed away from his wounds on Christmas Eve morning.  Detective Parker was 38 years old and had served on the Minneapolis Police Department for 10 years.  His funeral and burial took place on December 27, 1930 at Crystal Lake Cemetery in North Minneapolis.