Saginaw Police Department, Michigan
End of Watch Wednesday, July 16, 1924
Add to My HeroesJohn Schmiegel
At 3:40am, in July 16, 1924, a beat patrolman on Gratiot Street. heard the sound of gunshots in the vicinity of Genessee and Bullock Streets. About the same time, a man coming out of 308 Greenwich St. noticed a man running down the sidewalk. He also noticed this man was not wearing a hat.
Other officers searching the area found Patrolman John Schmiegel lying on the ground at the rear of Johnson's Store on Bullock Street. Patrolman Schmiegel had been shot several times and was deceased. His service revolver was missing. A man's straw hat was found at the scene. It was assumed that Patrolman Schmiegel was checking the rear of the store and came upon a burglar who overpowered the officer killing him with the officer's own weapon.
Several promising leads were followed including that of a man who left town for Canada the morning after the murder. He was never found by Canadian authorities. In 1931, the four bullets that were removed from Patrolman Schmiegel's body were sent to the Detroit Police Crime Lab for analysis. The lab concluded that the bullets were fired from a .38 Iver Johnson revolver, not the officer's weapon. In 1939, police received a letter from a man who had been charged with selling bootlegged liquor to a couple state police informants. During a quarrel, this man heard one of the informants say he had Patrolman Schmiegel's weapon. The letter writer claimed to have seen the weapon when it was taken from its hiding place. Both informants were interviewed by police, but the gun was never found.
The investigation into the death of Patrolman Schmiegel went on for sixteen years before it was termed inactive.
Patrolman Schmiegel had been employed with the Saginaw Police Department for three years.
Bio
- Age 33
- Tour 3 years
- Badge Not available
Incident Details
- Cause Gunfire
- Weapon Gun; Unknown type
- Offender Not available
Most Recent Reflection
View all 5 ReflectionsPatrolman Schmiegel,
On today, the 100th anniversary of your death I would just like to say thank you for your service and sacrifice for the citizens of Saginaw.
BPA Mike Casey
United States Border Patrol(Retired)
July 16, 2024
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