The City of Cleveland organized the first city police department in 1865 following the Civil War. Upon returning from action in the Union army, John Michael Kick became a patrol officer in the fledgling department. In May of 1875 a group of thieves had come to Cleveland and were staying above a tavern near the corner of Pearl and Monroe Streets. Kick and another officer were assigned to follow the thieves when they left their hideout. The plain-clothes officers were to be followed by a larger group of policemen. Due to a mix up in communications Kick and his partner became separated from the other policemen. During pursuit of the thieves a shot was fired that struck Kick in the chest. He died two days later becoming the first Cleveland policeman to be killed in the line of duty. | Source: Cleveland Police Historical SocietyDownload Original File
