PO Edward S Sherman, Baltimore City PD, EOW 9/13/75

Early on the morning of Sept. 13th, 1975, Officer Edward Sherman parked his car behind the Edgewood Elementary School. He was taking a break from a hard tour of duty on the mid-night shift in the Southwestern District. He backed his car against chain-link fence to guard against anyone approaching from behind. He was pe...rhaps unaware that a thick, deep, undergrowth of weeds covered the exhaust pipes of his car.

He began to feel drowsy as he relaxed, but he was not concerned: after all, the midnight shift has often had that effect. He also did not know that a piece of rubber was missing from the trunk lining of his car, allowing carbon monoxide to creep into the passenger compartment. An unwitting victim of carbon monoxide poisoning rarely has a chance to defeat its deadly effects. In all likelihood, Officer Sherman thought he was just tired as he nodded off. Slowly, the carbon monoxide replaced the oxygen in his body, depriving him of his life. He died peacefully.

When his fellow officers did not hear from him after a while, they tried to locate him. The closer they came to the end of the shift, the harder they looked. It was unlike Officer Sherman to go too long without meeting with someone during the boring hours of the midnight shift. His friends, Officers Martin and Gooden, found him at ten minutes after seven. They beat on the window in an effort to wake him as the engine continued to run. Fearing the worst, they smashed the patrol car's window. Martin pulled him from the car and began CPR, but it was too late. All their efforts were in vein. On Wednesday, September 17, 1975, Officer Edward Sherman, a five year veteran was laid to rest, the victim of tragic circumstance.
 
Posted by Erik Edward Sherman (2010-07-11 03:29:32)

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