Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 9 years, 0 months, 21 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: 7th District - Englewood
District of Incident (Present Day): 007 - Englewood
Cause of Death: Gunfire - Enemy
Age at Time of Death: 33
Timeline
Date of Birth: 15 Oct 1936
Date of Appointment: 29 May 1961
Date of Incident: 19 Jun 1970
End of Watch: 19 Jun 1970
Date of Interment: 22 Jun 1970
Interment Details
Cemetery: St. Mary Catholic Cemetery - Evergreen Park, Illinois
Grave Location: Lot South Gr. 1774 / North Gr. 1776, Block --, Section AM
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # D-5
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 5
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 3, Line 22
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 27-E: 6
Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed
Service
Military Service: U.S. Army
Incident & Biographic Details
Patrolman Kenneth Guy Kaner, Star #2662, aged 33 years, was a 9 year, 0 month, 21 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 7th District – Englewood.
On June 19, 1970, at 1:25 a.m., Officer Kaner was working the first watch on beat 723. He was parked and sitting in his squad car at 700 West 74th Street completting a missing person report. As he was working on the report five assailants approached his squad car and one fired a 12-gauge shotgun through the open passenger side window. Officer Kaner was shot in the right side of the face and mortally wounded. His service revolver was taken and the gunmen, Bruce Sharp, age 24, fled in a vehicle with four accomplices; Jerome Amos, age 23, Dwight Cavin, age 17, Bradely Green, age 23 and William Redwine, age 23. Officer Kaner was transported to St. Bernard Hospital by beat 773 where he was pronounced dead on arrival by Dr. Governale at 1:50 a.m. on June 19, 1970.
The getaway vehicle was stopped within minutes for a missing license plate by Patrolmen Carl Malik and Edward Brown of the 7th District Tactical Unit. Unaware of the shooting that had just occurred the officers curbed the vehicle at 71st Street and Union Avenue. As the officers approached the car they observed a sawed-off shotgun inside. Just then they heard the broadcast of the shooting come over the radio. They alerted the dispatcher that they had the suspects stopped. The men were taken into custody and Officer Kaner’s weapon was recovered along with another handgun. Sharp’s brother, Tyrone Sharp, was a Chicago Police Officer assigned to the CTA Task Force Detail.
All of the men were arrested and stood trial. All were found guilty except Amos and given varying sentences. On January 19, 1971, Bruce Sharp was sentenced to 30 to 125 years in prison. He is currently serving his time in the Dixon Correctional Center. In 2007, Sharp became eligible for parole, but it was denied by the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. The vote was nine against parole and three for parole. In 2012, Sharp became eligible for parole again. On November 29, 2012, the Illinois Prisoner Review Board denied his parole. The vote was 10 against parole and 4 for parole.
Officer Kaner was waked at Wolniak Funeral Home located at 5700 South Pulaski Road. His funeral mass was held at St. Turlbius Church located at 5646 South Karlov Avenue. He was laid to rest on June 22, 1970 in St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, 3801 West 87th Street, Evergreen Park, Illinois. His grave is located in Lot South Gr. 1774 / North Gr. 1776, Block –, Section AM.
Patrolman Kenneth Guy Kaner, born October 15, 1936, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on May 29, 1961.
Officer Kaner served in the U.S. Army from January 14, 1957 thru January 13, 1959 and was Honorably Discharged. He was survived by his wife, Pauline Katherine (nee Vacco), age 3; children: Kimberly, age 7 and Kurt Guy, age 5 and siblings: Donald R and Mary D. He was preceded in death by his parents: Anna (nee Ludvik) and Guy. His son Kurt would also become a Chicago Police Officer and serve in the Marine unit. Officer Kaner was also a former city Golden Gloves middleweight boxing champion.
Incident Recorded under Chicago Police Department RD #J248024.
On October 21, 1982, the police department honored Officer Kaner’s memory by naming the M-1 police boat in the Department’s Marine Unit after him.
Retired Detective Carl Malik passed away on Feb 17th. He is perhaps best remembered for the arrests of the killers of Chicago Police Officer Kenneth Kaner, when on Jun 19, 1970, he and his partner stopped a vehicle for a missing license plate while working on the 007 District Tact Team. Unaware of the shooting of PO Kaner that had occurred minutes earlier, the officers curbed the vehicle at 71st Street and Union Avenue. As the officers approached the car they observed a sawed-off shotgun inside. Just then they heard the broadcast of the shooting of Officer Kaner come over the radio. They alerted the dispatcher that they had the suspects stopped. The men were taken into custody by PO Malik and his partner. Officer Kaner’s weapon was recovered along with another handgun. All five of the subjects that were in the vehicle were arrested and charged with Officer Kaner’s murder.
Officer Kenneth Kaner was my uncle and godfather. I was 17 years old when he was murdered he was like a father to me as my father passed away at a young age. He and his wife lived upstairs from our family when he first got married. I think about him often he was a great person. Our family has never been the same since his murder. Bruce Sharp destroyed our whole family and he was released from prison in the summer of 2021 so unfair. Another blow is making June 19 national freebso day thanks to our wonderfull Gov. Pritzker.