On July 23, 1968, Lieutenant Leroy C. Jones, aged 47, was fatally shot during the Glenville Shootout in Cleveland, Ohio. The incident occurred when black nationalists led by Fred Evans ambushed police officers, resulting in the deaths of three officers and injuries to thirteen others. Lieutenant Jones, a highly respected officer with 25 years of service in the Cleveland Police Department, was on foot when he was felled by heavy gunfire. Despite attempts by Patrolman Angelo SantaMaria and civilian James E. Chapman to rescue him, Lieutenant Jones succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds at Mt. Sinai Hospital around 10:00 p.m.
The Glenville Shootout was part of a larger series of violent events known as the Glenville Riots, which began on July 23, 1968, and lasted for five days. The riots were sparked by an ambush on two civilian tow truck drivers, William McMillan and Roy Benslay, who were mistaken for police officers. Over 50 officers responded to the initial shooting call and were ambushed by heavily armed militants. The leader of the militant group, Fred Evans, eventually turned himself in after 200 National Guard personnel were mobilized. Evans was convicted and sentenced to death in the electric chair, while several other militants were arrested and convicted as well.
Lieutenant Jones was survived by his wife, Albine, and two daughters, Dana Lee Ita, 21, and Rhea, 17. His funeral services were held at the Thomas Funeral Home on Miles Avenue, and he was buried in Calvary Cemetery. The tragic events of the Glenville Shootout and the subsequent riots left a lasting impact on the community and highlighted the intense racial tensions of the time.
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