Police Officer Leonard Lesnieski

Incident Details:

At 9:30 a.m. on March 19th, 1985, Officer Rosario Collura and Officer Leonard Lesniewski were gunned down in an alley by a man who later said that he did it because he did not want to go back to jail.

Officer Collura and Officer Lesniewski interrupted a drug deal at N. 17th Street and W. Center Street. The officers began frisking the men. As one of the men was searched, he pulled a gun and shot both officers in the chest.

Officer Lesniewski died from a bullet to his heart. Officer Collura made it to the hospital and was expected to survive but died about six hours later from uncontrollable bleeding.

Officer Lesniewski was 48 years old and became an officer in March 1969. He moved to the 5th District in April 1984 after 15 years in District 4 on the Northwest Side. He served four years in the Marine Corps and married his wife Carol when they were 23. They had two daughters.

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