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A gunfight survival story...
Defender
Member Posts: 1,772 ✭✭✭✭✭
THE SHOOTING OF JOHN FARRELL
By Defender
One really nice Chicago night I was off duty and sitting in my new Motor Trend Magazine, Car of The Year with a girl friend. You ask what was that wonderful car? Why it was none other than the 1971 Chevrolet Vega! Motor Trend Magazine has been on my poop list ever since.
The girl friend was an exceptionally hot, student nurse living at the Thomas O Wallace nurses residence at the Illinois Masonic Hospital located in the 800 block of West Wellington. My little nurse had a curfew and had to be in the facility at a certain time. We would spend the last 20 minutes involved in a mutual anatomy lesson in my cramped car until she had to check in.
There was a very tall chain link fence behind the nurse's residence and a view of the rear of a large three story court style building located at 841 W Barry. Suddenly, from that direction I heard shots, then laughter and voices speaking in Spanish. I sent my little nurse into the dorm building and told her to call the police. Then I heard someone yell, "Police officer! You! Come here!" Then I heard two bursts of gunfire. I could see muzzle blasts in the dark, but I could not tell who was who. I saw no uniforms. On the ground I saw a figure that appeared to be shot. Later I would learn he was John Farrell.
I saw another altercation with muzzle blasts on the steps. I later learned that was Mike Malone taking care of business with his nine shot, S&W Model 39, 9MM. Because of the tall fence I could not get close enough and that was the best since I could not tell what was going on because of the darkness.
The 10-1 call with the shots fired, officer down must have gone out quickly because the cavalry arrived as fast as I've ever seen. The old really cool, unique, Chicago police baffle-sirens that most Chicago cops on the job today have never heard, were mixed with the sound of the newer electronic sirens.
I ran around to the Barry side and John Farrell was shot through his right thigh and had a second gapping wound near his collarbone. He was bleeding badly. He was being tended by at least four uniformed officers. Nearby I could see an old model, Colt Trooper .357 magnum. That was John's service revolver.
Mike Malone was uninjured but full of adrenalin and standing on the steps next to the handcuffed brother of the shooter. You could see the bones of both of his kegs sticking out through this offender's skin. Malone's rounds had incapacitated this offender.
Upstairs more officers grabbed the wounded shooter, Daniel Alverez and recovered his weapon. Alverez had five gunshot wounds and should have been killed but for the crappy round nose ammunition the department insisted officers use in those days.
Officers gently carried Alverez down the steps from either the second or third floor. I couldn't imagine what that thumping sound was as they carried Alverez down to a waiting wagon. He was transported for medical care less than a block away at the IL Masonic emergency room.
At the hospital there was the expected scene of pandemonium. Two offenders with gun shot wounds and of course John Farrell. John was getting his clothes cut off as they put the oxygen mask on him and connected an IV in each arm. John was in excruciating pain.
In the nearby room with Daniel Alverez, clumsy cops kept accidentally getting in the way of his medical treatment. That's when the nurses and doctor got pissed. They diplomatically had the on scene supervisor reduce the number of officers "helping" Daniel Alverez.
I remember Area Six robbery dick, Chuck Green going through Alverez's pants pockets. He found a fully loaded 1911 .45 magazine that matched the gun they recovered. Area Six, GA dick Ed Chorba who would later be killed in a crash of a private plane he piloted was doing some of the paper. He took my information and then I left the hospital.
John Farrell was in my prayers that night. I was sure he was through as a cop. I knew that that .45 slug shattered his femur. The second would was not such a big deal. He would live but a long recovery and lots of therapy was in his cards. Coming back to work was a question that Dr. James Carroll of the Chicago Police Medical Section would ponder for many months. Dr. Carroll thought for sure that a return to duty would never happen. John Farrell fooled Dr. Carroll and everyone else. Eventually John Farrell mended well enough to return and hit the streets.
I soon learned that John Farrell and his partner were Area Six Burglary dicks that were in their unmarked car passing that Barry address. They heard shots fired, called in the event to their dispatcher and got out of the car to investigate. Immediately upon approaching the courtyard John was shot twice. Mike Malone wasted no time or shots in stopping those responsible from doing further harm.
As for Daniel Alverez, he stayed under guard at the hospital by officers from the old 019 District (Town Hall). My friend Jimmy O'Donnell was recently dumped there after a stretch as a dick in Area Six Robbery. Jimmy was in an understandably bad mood over the demotion. One of his first assignments in patrol was to baby-sit this wannabe cop killer. Every day Alverez got stronger. He was quite a ladies man and soon became a hit with the nurses. The nurses treated the scumbag better than Jimmy O'Donnell. The parish priest from St. Sebastian would visit and bless this guy who was going to spend at least a decade in the IL Dept. of Corrections. It looked as though Alverez was going to recover faster than John Farrell.
Then one day, three weeks into his recovery, Alverez developed a fever, chills and was no longer smiling. The hospital staff worked hard loading their patient with antibiotics. Jimmy O'Donnell's mood was finally starting to improve every day, as things were going downhill fast for his prisoner. After a three-day weekend Jimmy found himself in a beat car instead of hospital guard duty. The prisoner died and no longer needed a police guard.
We all learned from this shooting that out secondary weapons should be .45s. Soon every cop on the North side was sporting a .45 or a .44 magnum.
Defender
Private investigator licensed in AZ & CA that specializes in self defense cases.
By Defender
One really nice Chicago night I was off duty and sitting in my new Motor Trend Magazine, Car of The Year with a girl friend. You ask what was that wonderful car? Why it was none other than the 1971 Chevrolet Vega! Motor Trend Magazine has been on my poop list ever since.
The girl friend was an exceptionally hot, student nurse living at the Thomas O Wallace nurses residence at the Illinois Masonic Hospital located in the 800 block of West Wellington. My little nurse had a curfew and had to be in the facility at a certain time. We would spend the last 20 minutes involved in a mutual anatomy lesson in my cramped car until she had to check in.
There was a very tall chain link fence behind the nurse's residence and a view of the rear of a large three story court style building located at 841 W Barry. Suddenly, from that direction I heard shots, then laughter and voices speaking in Spanish. I sent my little nurse into the dorm building and told her to call the police. Then I heard someone yell, "Police officer! You! Come here!" Then I heard two bursts of gunfire. I could see muzzle blasts in the dark, but I could not tell who was who. I saw no uniforms. On the ground I saw a figure that appeared to be shot. Later I would learn he was John Farrell.
I saw another altercation with muzzle blasts on the steps. I later learned that was Mike Malone taking care of business with his nine shot, S&W Model 39, 9MM. Because of the tall fence I could not get close enough and that was the best since I could not tell what was going on because of the darkness.
The 10-1 call with the shots fired, officer down must have gone out quickly because the cavalry arrived as fast as I've ever seen. The old really cool, unique, Chicago police baffle-sirens that most Chicago cops on the job today have never heard, were mixed with the sound of the newer electronic sirens.
I ran around to the Barry side and John Farrell was shot through his right thigh and had a second gapping wound near his collarbone. He was bleeding badly. He was being tended by at least four uniformed officers. Nearby I could see an old model, Colt Trooper .357 magnum. That was John's service revolver.
Mike Malone was uninjured but full of adrenalin and standing on the steps next to the handcuffed brother of the shooter. You could see the bones of both of his kegs sticking out through this offender's skin. Malone's rounds had incapacitated this offender.
Upstairs more officers grabbed the wounded shooter, Daniel Alverez and recovered his weapon. Alverez had five gunshot wounds and should have been killed but for the crappy round nose ammunition the department insisted officers use in those days.
Officers gently carried Alverez down the steps from either the second or third floor. I couldn't imagine what that thumping sound was as they carried Alverez down to a waiting wagon. He was transported for medical care less than a block away at the IL Masonic emergency room.
At the hospital there was the expected scene of pandemonium. Two offenders with gun shot wounds and of course John Farrell. John was getting his clothes cut off as they put the oxygen mask on him and connected an IV in each arm. John was in excruciating pain.
In the nearby room with Daniel Alverez, clumsy cops kept accidentally getting in the way of his medical treatment. That's when the nurses and doctor got pissed. They diplomatically had the on scene supervisor reduce the number of officers "helping" Daniel Alverez.
I remember Area Six robbery dick, Chuck Green going through Alverez's pants pockets. He found a fully loaded 1911 .45 magazine that matched the gun they recovered. Area Six, GA dick Ed Chorba who would later be killed in a crash of a private plane he piloted was doing some of the paper. He took my information and then I left the hospital.
John Farrell was in my prayers that night. I was sure he was through as a cop. I knew that that .45 slug shattered his femur. The second would was not such a big deal. He would live but a long recovery and lots of therapy was in his cards. Coming back to work was a question that Dr. James Carroll of the Chicago Police Medical Section would ponder for many months. Dr. Carroll thought for sure that a return to duty would never happen. John Farrell fooled Dr. Carroll and everyone else. Eventually John Farrell mended well enough to return and hit the streets.
I soon learned that John Farrell and his partner were Area Six Burglary dicks that were in their unmarked car passing that Barry address. They heard shots fired, called in the event to their dispatcher and got out of the car to investigate. Immediately upon approaching the courtyard John was shot twice. Mike Malone wasted no time or shots in stopping those responsible from doing further harm.
As for Daniel Alverez, he stayed under guard at the hospital by officers from the old 019 District (Town Hall). My friend Jimmy O'Donnell was recently dumped there after a stretch as a dick in Area Six Robbery. Jimmy was in an understandably bad mood over the demotion. One of his first assignments in patrol was to baby-sit this wannabe cop killer. Every day Alverez got stronger. He was quite a ladies man and soon became a hit with the nurses. The nurses treated the scumbag better than Jimmy O'Donnell. The parish priest from St. Sebastian would visit and bless this guy who was going to spend at least a decade in the IL Dept. of Corrections. It looked as though Alverez was going to recover faster than John Farrell.
Then one day, three weeks into his recovery, Alverez developed a fever, chills and was no longer smiling. The hospital staff worked hard loading their patient with antibiotics. Jimmy O'Donnell's mood was finally starting to improve every day, as things were going downhill fast for his prisoner. After a three-day weekend Jimmy found himself in a beat car instead of hospital guard duty. The prisoner died and no longer needed a police guard.
We all learned from this shooting that out secondary weapons should be .45s. Soon every cop on the North side was sporting a .45 or a .44 magnum.
Defender
Private investigator licensed in AZ & CA that specializes in self defense cases.