The Cleveland Police Museum is honored to tell the stories of our Fallen Officers on the anniversaries of their End of Watch.
Inspired by the detective novels he read as a youth, Joseph Haydu joined the Cleveland Police Department in September, 1946. He served honorably, breaking up gangs, surviving an assault by several men he arrested for drunkenness and even apprehending two different robbers for separate incidents in one day.
On May 19, 1956, Officer Haydu responded to an armed robbery at the Kresge’s Department store. Haydu chased the robber and attempted to wrestle the gun away from him, but was fatally shot during the tussle. Officer Haydu received full military honors at Holy Cross Cemetery and was survived by his wife Lois and daughters Joan and Stephanie.