Died at age 26
Son of Irene Dendinger and Joseph L. Coleman.
Husband of Patricia Franz.
Many have come to know it simply as the "Howard Johnson Traqedy." Over a seven-day period beginning on December 31, 1972, a lone gunman named Mark J. Essex waged war on the New Orleans Police Department and many innocent civilians.
The series of snipings and gun battles ended with five members of the Department killed.
They were Alfred E. Harrell, Edwin Hosli Sr., Paul Persigo, Philip Coleman and Assistant Superintendent Louis J. Sirgo.
Essex was finally shot and killed on January 7, 1973, after being tracked down at the Downtown Howard Johnson's hotel.
Realizing he was trapped, he set a number of diversionary fires throughout the hotel while killing four civilians and wounding numerous others, including several police officers and firefighters.
Name: Patrolman Philip J. Coleman Sr.
Birth Year abt 1947
Age: 26
Date of Incident: 7 Jan 1973
Death Location: Louisiana
Department: New Orleans Police Department
Department State: Louisiana
End of Watch Date: 7 Jan 1973
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge: 1555
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Weapon: Rifle; .44 caliber
Suspect: Shot and killed
Notes: Patrolmen Coleman, Paul Persigo, and Deputy Superintendent Louis Sirgo where shot and killed by a sniper who had shot several civilians and set fires at a local hotel. Patrolman Coleman had driven his patrol car to a location where another person had been shot to try to rescue the man. He was shot as he stepped from his patrol car. The suspect, who was a member of the Black Panthers, was shot and killed by police, who used a Marine helicopter to fly over the hotel and fire at the suspect. The suspect was also responsible for the murders of Cadet Alfred Harrell and Sergeant Edwin Hosli, who were shot in separate incidents eight days earlier. Cadet Harrell was killed instantly and Sergeant Hosli succumbed to his wounds on March 5, 1973. Patrolman Coleman had served with the New Orleans Police Department for five years.
Son of Irene Dendinger and Joseph L. Coleman.
Husband of Patricia Franz.
Many have come to know it simply as the "Howard Johnson Traqedy." Over a seven-day period beginning on December 31, 1972, a lone gunman named Mark J. Essex waged war on the New Orleans Police Department and many innocent civilians.
The series of snipings and gun battles ended with five members of the Department killed.
They were Alfred E. Harrell, Edwin Hosli Sr., Paul Persigo, Philip Coleman and Assistant Superintendent Louis J. Sirgo.
Essex was finally shot and killed on January 7, 1973, after being tracked down at the Downtown Howard Johnson's hotel.
Realizing he was trapped, he set a number of diversionary fires throughout the hotel while killing four civilians and wounding numerous others, including several police officers and firefighters.
Name: Patrolman Philip J. Coleman Sr.
Birth Year abt 1947
Age: 26
Date of Incident: 7 Jan 1973
Death Location: Louisiana
Department: New Orleans Police Department
Department State: Louisiana
End of Watch Date: 7 Jan 1973
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge: 1555
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Weapon: Rifle; .44 caliber
Suspect: Shot and killed
Notes: Patrolmen Coleman, Paul Persigo, and Deputy Superintendent Louis Sirgo where shot and killed by a sniper who had shot several civilians and set fires at a local hotel. Patrolman Coleman had driven his patrol car to a location where another person had been shot to try to rescue the man. He was shot as he stepped from his patrol car. The suspect, who was a member of the Black Panthers, was shot and killed by police, who used a Marine helicopter to fly over the hotel and fire at the suspect. The suspect was also responsible for the murders of Cadet Alfred Harrell and Sergeant Edwin Hosli, who were shot in separate incidents eight days earlier. Cadet Harrell was killed instantly and Sergeant Hosli succumbed to his wounds on March 5, 1973. Patrolman Coleman had served with the New Orleans Police Department for five years.
Died at age 26
Son of Irene Dendinger and Joseph L. Coleman.
Husband of Patricia Franz.
Many have come to know it simply as the "Howard Johnson Traqedy." Over a seven-day period beginning on December 31, 1972, a lone gunman named Mark J. Essex waged war on the New Orleans Police Department and many innocent civilians.
The series of snipings and gun battles ended with five members of the Department killed.
They were Alfred E. Harrell, Edwin Hosli Sr., Paul Persigo, Philip Coleman and Assistant Superintendent Louis J. Sirgo.
Essex was finally shot and killed on January 7, 1973, after being tracked down at the Downtown Howard Johnson's hotel.
Realizing he was trapped, he set a number of diversionary fires throughout the hotel while killing four civilians and wounding numerous others, including several police officers and firefighters.
Name: Patrolman Philip J. Coleman Sr.
Birth Year abt 1947
Age: 26
Date of Incident: 7 Jan 1973
Death Location: Louisiana
Department: New Orleans Police Department
Department State: Louisiana
End of Watch Date: 7 Jan 1973
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge: 1555
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Weapon: Rifle; .44 caliber
Suspect: Shot and killed
Notes: Patrolmen Coleman, Paul Persigo, and Deputy Superintendent Louis Sirgo where shot and killed by a sniper who had shot several civilians and set fires at a local hotel. Patrolman Coleman had driven his patrol car to a location where another person had been shot to try to rescue the man. He was shot as he stepped from his patrol car. The suspect, who was a member of the Black Panthers, was shot and killed by police, who used a Marine helicopter to fly over the hotel and fire at the suspect. The suspect was also responsible for the murders of Cadet Alfred Harrell and Sergeant Edwin Hosli, who were shot in separate incidents eight days earlier. Cadet Harrell was killed instantly and Sergeant Hosli succumbed to his wounds on March 5, 1973. Patrolman Coleman had served with the New Orleans Police Department for five years.
Son of Irene Dendinger and Joseph L. Coleman.
Husband of Patricia Franz.
Many have come to know it simply as the "Howard Johnson Traqedy." Over a seven-day period beginning on December 31, 1972, a lone gunman named Mark J. Essex waged war on the New Orleans Police Department and many innocent civilians.
The series of snipings and gun battles ended with five members of the Department killed.
They were Alfred E. Harrell, Edwin Hosli Sr., Paul Persigo, Philip Coleman and Assistant Superintendent Louis J. Sirgo.
Essex was finally shot and killed on January 7, 1973, after being tracked down at the Downtown Howard Johnson's hotel.
Realizing he was trapped, he set a number of diversionary fires throughout the hotel while killing four civilians and wounding numerous others, including several police officers and firefighters.
Name: Patrolman Philip J. Coleman Sr.
Birth Year abt 1947
Age: 26
Date of Incident: 7 Jan 1973
Death Location: Louisiana
Department: New Orleans Police Department
Department State: Louisiana
End of Watch Date: 7 Jan 1973
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge: 1555
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Weapon: Rifle; .44 caliber
Suspect: Shot and killed
Notes: Patrolmen Coleman, Paul Persigo, and Deputy Superintendent Louis Sirgo where shot and killed by a sniper who had shot several civilians and set fires at a local hotel. Patrolman Coleman had driven his patrol car to a location where another person had been shot to try to rescue the man. He was shot as he stepped from his patrol car. The suspect, who was a member of the Black Panthers, was shot and killed by police, who used a Marine helicopter to fly over the hotel and fire at the suspect. The suspect was also responsible for the murders of Cadet Alfred Harrell and Sergeant Edwin Hosli, who were shot in separate incidents eight days earlier. Cadet Harrell was killed instantly and Sergeant Hosli succumbed to his wounds on March 5, 1973. Patrolman Coleman had served with the New Orleans Police Department for five years.
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