Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 33 years, 0 months, 16 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: 41st District - Rogers Park
District of Incident (Present Day): 024 - Rogers Park
Cause of Death: Crash - Automobile
Age at Time of Death: 51
Timeline
Date of Birth: 22 Apr 1907
Date of Appointment: 27 Sep 1925
Date of Incident: 13 Oct 1958
End of Watch: 13 Oct 1958
Date of Interment: 17 Oct 1958
Interment Details
Cemetery: St. Joseph Cemetery - River Grove, Illinois
Grave Location: Unknown
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # D-3
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 24
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall:
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall:
Officer Down Memorial Page: Not Listed
Service
Military Service: No Military Record Found
Incident & Biographic Details
Detective Joseph A. Borcia, Star #7292, aged 51 years, was a 33 year, 0 month, 16 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 41st District – Rogers Park.
On October 13, 1958, Detective Borcia was standing roll call at the District station when the call of criminal trespass where an armed intruder was breaking into an apartment at 1206 West Jarvis Avenue was reported. Temporary Detective Borcia accompanied Detective Gannon in his personal car and headed Eastbound on Touhy Avenue from Clark Street. Detective Curtin and Patrolman Schirmang, also responding to the call, were traveling northbound on Ashland Boulevard. Both cars traveling at a high rate of speed met at the intersection of Touhy Avenue and Ashland Boulevard and collided. The force of the impact threw Detective Gannon’s car into a tree where Detective Borcia was pinned inside. All four officers were transported to St. Francis Hospital, in Evanston. Temporary Detective Borcia succumbed to his injuries and the others were treated and released.
Other officers responded to the Jarvis address and the offender was gone on arrival. Per the resident, Miss Solvig Hermanson, age 25, the offender, her boyfriend, had threatened her with a revolver. Shortly after the accident, Alfred Bone, age 30, a University of Chicago student was arrested in his auto at Greenleaf and Western Avenues.
Detective Borcia was waked at Koop Funeral Home located at 5844-48 North Milwaukee Avenue. His funeral mass was held at St. Tarcissus Church located at 6020 West Ardmore Avenue. He was laid to rest on October 17, 1958 in St. Joseph Cemetery, 3100 North Thatcher Avenue, River Grove, Illinois.
Detective Joseph A. Borcia, born April 22, 1907, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on September 27, 1935. He earned 1 Credible Mention during his career. On November 16, 1956, Borcia was promoted to Temporary Detective and then dropped from Temporary Detective on November 16, 1957. On July 1, 1958, Borcia was promoted to Detective.
Detective Borcia was a member of the Chicago Policemen’s Benevolent & Welfare Association and the St. Jude Police League. He was survived by his wife, Marie (nee Marino); daughter, Judith M., age 18; and siblings: Anna Jellen, Frances Coveill, Helen, John, Mary Greco, and Sam. He was preceded in death by his parents: Josephine (nee Calderone) and Nick.
On November 14, 2006, Detective Borcia’s star was retired by Superintendent Philip J. Cline and enshrined in the Superintendent’s Honored Star Case, located in the lobby at Chicago Police Headquarters, 3510 South Michigan Avenue.