The Cleveland Police Museum is honored to tell the stories of our Fallen Officers on the anniversaries of their End of Watch.
Patrolman Stinchcomb was appointed on September 1, 1923 and served in the 3rd District as a mounted patrolman.
On May 12, 1952, he was assigned as a mounted officer working traffic duty on the corner of East 105th Street and Euclid Avenue. During the course of his duties, he was called to quell a disturbance aboard a CTS bus.
The complainant, Annabelle Franke, stated a man on the bus burned her hair and pointing out a subject later identified as Lawrence Goldby. Patrolman Stinchcomb tried talking to Goldby and remove him from the bus. Goldby grabbed Stinchcomb’s revolver and began shooting, killing Patrolman Stinchcomb and the complainant. Goldby then shot and killed passengers William Power and Helen Garrison.
Off duty Patrolman, Walter Phillips was in the area and ran onto the bus. Phillips disarmed and arrested the suspect, then directed the bus to the Fifth District parking lot with the bodies and the prisoner. Officer Stinchcomb was survived by his wife Beatrice and children Virginia, James, George and Katherine. Funeral services were conducted at Holy Family Catholic Church, 13205 Chapelside Avenue and he was buried in Calvary Cemetery.
