Police recruits will honor fallen officer in downtown run Wednesday

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KCPD Media Unit
816-234-5170                                  

The recruits of the Kansas City Regional Police Academy’s 164^th Entrant Officer Class will honor Officer Homer Riggle on Wednesday morning by running to the location where he was killed.

The class’s 41 recruits and Academy staff will run west on 12^th Street from Broadway, arriving at Police Headquarters at Locust Street about 8:30 a.m. Jan. 9. At that time, Chief Richard C. Smith will address and encourage the group, and the recruits will do push-ups to honor fallen officers. Afterward, the recruits will run east on 12^th Street to Paseo, then south to 19^th and Paseo.

Officer Homer Riggle was killed at 19^th and Paseo in 1913. While many other fallen officers have received memorials and recognition along KCPD’s Trail of Heroes at the Police Academy campus, no one had done so for Officer Riggle. The members of Entrant Officer Class 164 chose to purchase a memorial bench for him as their class gift upon graduation.

They are further honoring him with their run, which will conclude at the location where he was shot. Officer Riggle responded to a robbery call at a saloon at 19^th and Brooklyn on Feb. 28, 1913. He found and arrested the two robbers on 19^th Street. While transporting them back to the former police station on Flora Avenue, one of the men jumped on his back and took his gun. The robbers separated and both shot at Riggle, fatally wounding him.

Media are invited to attend the run.