Officer Hans Hanson

End of Watch : August 3, 1888

OFFICER HANS G. HANSON
St. Paul PD
Died August 3, 1888

At 1:15 a.m. on August 3rd, officers were sent to the area of Virginia and Summit Avenues for a report of a gunshot. They checked the area, but could not locate anything. They did, however, discover that the officer for that area, Hans Hanson, was missing. Three hours later they discovered his body on Virginia Avenue, just north of Summit Avenue, in front of the A.K. Barnum residence. Officer Hanson had a bullet wound below his right eye and his revolver was lying next to him. As of 1899, no arrests were made in this case.

Officer Hanson, 26, had been with the department since September, 1887, and was assigned Badge 25. He became the second St. Paul officer to be killed in the line of duty. His wife, who was pregnant with their first child, survived him and received $800 from the Policeman's Relief Association.

Sourced from: The book "We Will Remember"
With permission from Lisa Lovering, Author and Board of Director
MN Law Enforcement Memorial Association
L.E.M.A. 2009

Robert Laughlin

Peter Poull