Individual Details
Clarence John "Junior" Erickson
(7 Mar 1927 - 14 Jun 1953)
HSO, 22 Feb 1951, Locals
Clarence J. Erickson, of Milwaukee and his brother-in-law, Carlton A. Bonner, Jr. of Madison, spent the weekend in Hudson at the home of Col. and Mrs. C.P. Erickson.
HSO, 8 Aug 2002, p3B, "Doug's Diggings"
It was a Hudson officer who died in 1953 Second Street shoot-out
by Doug Stohlberg
With the recent publicity of the tragic shooting of Minneapolis police officer Melissa Schmidt, the fact that police officers risk their lives every day is again underscored. Schmidt, originally from Bloomer, was killed Thursday in a shoot-out at a public housing complex in Minneapolis.
Schmidt had no Hudson ties that we are aware of, but she did work in Somerset for a time. The incident presents an opportunity to reflect on a time when a Hudson officer was killed in action. The year was 1953. First-year Hudson Police Officer Clarence J. Erickson was killed in a shoot-out near the railroad underpass on Second Street.
The story has all sorts of sad twists and turns. Erickson's father, C. P. Erickson, was the radio dispatcher who alerted his son and another officer that an armed bandit was headed toward Hudson after a holdup in Amery. Erickson had been married in Novermber 1952 and the couple had just learned she was pregnant days before the shooting.
The incident started six miles north of Amery when Wilfred Goneau, 42, robbed Duran's Tavern early in the morning of Sunday, June 14, 1953. Fleeing with $408 in cash, Goneau was spotted just west of Somerset by a county car manned by officers Lee Murphy of Baldwin and Harry Dieltz of Somerset. The county officers caught up with Goneau and pulled the car over. Goneau, however, shot Murphy in the shoulder and took off, speeding toward Hudson.
Erickson and fellow Hudson officer Ragnvald Hansen picked up the chase near the North Hudson bridge at about 2 a.m. They managed to run the holdup car onto the sidewalk. Goneau jumped from the vehicle and ran up one of the flights of steps on Second Street with Erickson in pursuit.
According to the Star-Observer report, Erickson halted Goneau with a flying tackle, but the robber fired twice at Erickson, striking him in the leg and chest. Goneau then took Erickson's gun and his own and fired "double-fisted" at Hansen. The officer retaliated with a volley of shots aimed at Goneau. With a leg injury, the robber managed to get to Erickson's police car. By this time, Murphy and Dieltz arrived on the scene, and Goneau was killed in a hail of bullets while attempting to excape in the police car.
Erickson managed to crawl over a grassy slope, but died seconds later. Hansen reported that the entire incident lasted a minute or less. Murphy was treated for his shoulder injury and eventually recovered.
Erickson's funeral was at the First Presbyterian Church on June 17, 1953. Goneau, a native of New York state, was listed as a lumberjack living in Iron River. It was later learned that he had held many odd jobs in the area and had also been arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to at least three prison terms. He was on parole when he committed his last crime. Hudson businesses closed from 2-3 p.m. the day of Erickson's funeral.
I can't think of a tougher job than being a police officer. Every situation has the potential of being a volatile, life threatening situation. Most incidents are routine, but an officer can never let down his/her guard. The good news is that there has not been another Hudson officer killed while on duty since 1953. We hope there is never another incident--but every indicent must be treated with a certain level of care and seriousness. That is the burden of being a police officer.
Clarence J. Erickson, of Milwaukee and his brother-in-law, Carlton A. Bonner, Jr. of Madison, spent the weekend in Hudson at the home of Col. and Mrs. C.P. Erickson.
HSO, 8 Aug 2002, p3B, "Doug's Diggings"
It was a Hudson officer who died in 1953 Second Street shoot-out
by Doug Stohlberg
With the recent publicity of the tragic shooting of Minneapolis police officer Melissa Schmidt, the fact that police officers risk their lives every day is again underscored. Schmidt, originally from Bloomer, was killed Thursday in a shoot-out at a public housing complex in Minneapolis.
Schmidt had no Hudson ties that we are aware of, but she did work in Somerset for a time. The incident presents an opportunity to reflect on a time when a Hudson officer was killed in action. The year was 1953. First-year Hudson Police Officer Clarence J. Erickson was killed in a shoot-out near the railroad underpass on Second Street.
The story has all sorts of sad twists and turns. Erickson's father, C. P. Erickson, was the radio dispatcher who alerted his son and another officer that an armed bandit was headed toward Hudson after a holdup in Amery. Erickson had been married in Novermber 1952 and the couple had just learned she was pregnant days before the shooting.
The incident started six miles north of Amery when Wilfred Goneau, 42, robbed Duran's Tavern early in the morning of Sunday, June 14, 1953. Fleeing with $408 in cash, Goneau was spotted just west of Somerset by a county car manned by officers Lee Murphy of Baldwin and Harry Dieltz of Somerset. The county officers caught up with Goneau and pulled the car over. Goneau, however, shot Murphy in the shoulder and took off, speeding toward Hudson.
Erickson and fellow Hudson officer Ragnvald Hansen picked up the chase near the North Hudson bridge at about 2 a.m. They managed to run the holdup car onto the sidewalk. Goneau jumped from the vehicle and ran up one of the flights of steps on Second Street with Erickson in pursuit.
According to the Star-Observer report, Erickson halted Goneau with a flying tackle, but the robber fired twice at Erickson, striking him in the leg and chest. Goneau then took Erickson's gun and his own and fired "double-fisted" at Hansen. The officer retaliated with a volley of shots aimed at Goneau. With a leg injury, the robber managed to get to Erickson's police car. By this time, Murphy and Dieltz arrived on the scene, and Goneau was killed in a hail of bullets while attempting to excape in the police car.
Erickson managed to crawl over a grassy slope, but died seconds later. Hansen reported that the entire incident lasted a minute or less. Murphy was treated for his shoulder injury and eventually recovered.
Erickson's funeral was at the First Presbyterian Church on June 17, 1953. Goneau, a native of New York state, was listed as a lumberjack living in Iron River. It was later learned that he had held many odd jobs in the area and had also been arrested for armed robbery and sentenced to at least three prison terms. He was on parole when he committed his last crime. Hudson businesses closed from 2-3 p.m. the day of Erickson's funeral.
I can't think of a tougher job than being a police officer. Every situation has the potential of being a volatile, life threatening situation. Most incidents are routine, but an officer can never let down his/her guard. The good news is that there has not been another Hudson officer killed while on duty since 1953. We hope there is never another incident--but every indicent must be treated with a certain level of care and seriousness. That is the burden of being a police officer.
Events
| Birth | 7 Mar 1927 | Hudson, St. Croix County, Wisconsin | |||
| Marriage | 13 Nov 1952 | Hudson, St. Croix County, Wisconsin, Bethel Luth. - Lorraine K. Johnson | |||
| Burial | Jun 1953 | Hudson, St. Croix County, Wisconsin, Willow River Cem | |||
| Death | 14 Jun 1953 | Hudson, St. Croix County, Wisconsin |  |
Families
| Spouse | Lorraine K. Johnson (1928 - 1989) |
| Child | Carol Joyce Erickson |
| Father | Clarence Palmer Erickson (1902 - 1980) |
| Mother | Jeannette Karine Stayberg (1905 - ) |
| Sibling | Jeannette Karine "Sis" Erickson (1928 - 2002) |
| Sibling | Thelma Lorraine "Shushie" Erickson (1931 - 2006) |
Endnotes
1. U.S. Social Security Death Index .