Death Classification: Line of Duty Death
Agency: Chicago Police Department
Served: 27 years, 2 months, 18 days
Unit of Assignment / Detail: 25th District - Fillmore
District of Incident (Present Day): 010 - Ogden
Cause of Death: Aggravated Battery - Blunt Trauma
Age at Time of Death: 55
Timeline
Date of Birth: 02 Jan 1878
Date of Appointment: 02 Apr 1906
Date of Incident: 01 Jun 1933
End of Watch: 20 Jun 1933
Date of Interment: 23 Jun 1933
Interment Details
Cemetery: Mount Carmel Cemetery - Hillside, Illinois
Grave Location: Lot S3, Block 3, Section 17
Interment Disposition: Burial
Memorial Details
Superintendent’s Honored Star Case: Panel # C-4
Gold Star Families Memorial Wall: Panel # 24
Illinois Police Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 2, Line 35
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall: Panel # 39-E: 5
Officer Down Memorial Page: Listed
Service
Military Service: No Military Record Found
Incident & Biographic Details
Patrolman Oscar Edward Brosseau, Star #174, aged 55 years, was a 27 year, 2 month, 18 day veteran of the Chicago Police Department, assigned to the 25th District – Fillmore
On June 1, 1933, Officer Brosseau was assigned to preserve order outside the Royale Bakery located at 1240 South Kedzie Avenue where a labor demonstration was being held because the bakery was employing non-union workers. Officer Brosseau was charged with keeping picketers from the local 237 of the Jewish Baker’s Union, in order. At 9:50 p.m., the picketers became violent and attacked Officer Brosseau severely beating him with a baseball bat. Officer Brosseau was transported to St. Anthony Hospital where he lingered for three weeks before he was pronounced dead on June 20, 1933. Per the Coroner’s report, his official cause of death was, “Pulmonary embolism result of a fracture of the patella bone, due to external violence.”
On June 22, 1933 Al Goldberg, Sam Goodman, Morris Kauffman and Nathan Stein were arrested as accessories to murder. On July 7, 1933, the Coroner’s Jury recommended the arrest of his assailants on the charge of manslaughter. On July 25, 1933, all four men were discharged by Judge Hayes.
Officer Brosseau was laid to rest on June 23, 1933 in Mount Carmel Cemetery, 1400 South Wolf Road, Hillside, Illinois. His grave is located in Lot S3, Block 3, Section 17.
Patrolman Oscar Edward Brosseau, born January 2, 1878, received his Probationary Appointment to the Chicago Police Department on April 2, 1906.
Officer Brosseau was a member of the Chicago Policemen’s Benevolent & Welfare Association. He was survived by his wife, Nellie L. (nee Grandpre), age 50; mother, Virginia (nee Grand); sister and two brothers. One of his brothers, George, was also a Chicago Policeman in the Warren Avenue Station.