Olaf Marinius Riser

Incident Details

Cause of Death:
Electrocuted

Date/Time of Incident:
Friday, August 30, 1912
10:35 pm

Incident to Death Duration:
Same day

Incident Location:
6300 Miller Avenue, Miller

Incident County:
Lake

Incident Township:
Calumet

Weapon Used:
None

Suspect Disposition:
None

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Miller Town Marshal's Office

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Town Marshal
Olaf Marinius Riser
Miller Town Marshal's Office
Friday, August 30, 1912

Not Included

Town Marshal Olaf Riser was electrocuted in the Miller Town Hall.

He was killed instantly when he came in contact with a live wire containing 33,000 volts of electricity while turning off the town's street lights for the evening in the light plant.

Town Marshal Riser also served as the fire chief of the Miller Fire Department. He was single and survived by three brothers and two sisters.

Historical Note

Town marshals were elected to unlimited, two-year terms until 1917 when state law was amended to require they be appointed to office by the trustees of the town board.

Historic Place

The Miller Town Hall, at 6300 Miller Avenue in Gary, was built in 1911. After Miller was annexed into Gary, it served as Fire Station #7 from 1920 until 1975. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on July 7, 1978 and listed on the Indiana Register of Historic Sites and Structures on June 22, 1977.

The responsibilities of the Miller Town Marshal's Office (1907–1918) are now under the jurisdiction of the Gary Police Department.

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This officer, discovered in 2013, has not been submitted for consideration as an eligible line of duty death to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund by the Gary Police Department.

Personal Details

Age: 29

Law Enforcement Service:
1 year, 8 months

Burial Place:
Bethel Lutheran Cemetery, Gary