Officer
Ralph
(Ike) R. Miller
End
of Watch: Saturday, December 27, 1941
Age: 23
Officer Miller was traveling north on Prospect
on his motorcycle, pursuing a car that he
and Officer Cecil Harris had clocked five
blocks south at 64 miler per hour. Officer
Miller entered the intersection of 39th
Street and Prospect Avenue, operating his
siren, when a car entered the intersection
the motorcycle struck the front fender of
the car and the impact hurled Officer Miller
and his motorcycle 25 feet in the air and
onto a traffic light standard. Officer Miller
was killed instantly. Officer Harris traveling
a block and a half behind Officer Miller
was able to describe the speeding car but
it left the scene. (The driver of the car
later stated that he had not heard the siren.)
Officer Miller was twenty-three years old,
joined the department on February 27, 1940,
served for 22 months and was survived by
his wife and son.
Officer Miller was known as an excellent
athlete had been a member of the Rockhurst
College football team and won the Missouri
Valley A.A.U. heavyweight boxing title in
1937 - advancing to the national semi-finals.