Remembering Officer Barth
“A caring professional who made the ultimate sacrifice for the people and community he held most dear. His dedication will be remembered by his colleagues and the community he served.”
On March 18, 1974, Officer Richard J. Barth responded to a report of two suspicious youths carrying a paper bag into what is now known as Hooper's Hollow Park. Unbeknownst to Officer Barth, the youths were examining items taken during a neighborhood burglary. When he approached and asked for identification, one of the youths—15-year-old Paul Fontani—fatally shot Barth. Officer Barth, 25, was a Vietnam veteran known for delivering Christmas presents to children in local hospitals.
Fontani pleaded guilty before trial and was sentenced to 50 to 100 years in prison. After appearing before the parole board 12 times and serving 29 years of his sentence, he was released in 2003.
Today, Officer Barth is remembered through a display in the lobby of the Downers Grove Police Department, which includes his uniform cap and his retired badge number, 11.
In a cooperative effort between the Downers Grove Fraternal Order of Police Lodge #73, the Village of Downers Grove, and the Downers Grove Park District, the pond at Patriot’s Park was dedicated as Barth Pond on May 20, 1998, to honor the only Downers Grove police officer to die in the line of duty.
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