Eugene L Coon was a long-time Sheriff of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania and an influential figure in the local Democratic Party.
11 Facts About Eugene Coon
1.
2.
Eugene Coon began his career as an officer for the Pittsburgh Police in 1952, and rose through the ranks to assistant superintendent.
3.
Eugene Coon was elected Sheriff in 1969, succeeding the retiring William Davis.
4.
Eugene Coon was once called "America's Toughest Cop" by a men's magazine.
5.
Eugene Coon resigned from the Pittsburgh Police in 1969 to run as a Democrat for Sheriff of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, a position he would hold through seven subsequent elections, ending his career in 1997.
6.
Eugene Coon became chair of the Allegheny County Democratic party in the early 1970s.
7.
Eugene Coon gained national recognition on January 3,1983 when he refused to place homes of unemployed steel workers up for public sale following foreclosure proceedings.
8.
Eugene Coon was named to the Pennsylvania Police Hall of Fame on January 27,1990 and served as a bagpiper in many a St Patrick's Day parade.
9.
Eugene Coon died in his South Side home on Oct 21,1998, at age 68.
10.
In 1988 Sheriff Eugene Coon was involved as a pedestrian in an accident with a car, losing one of his legs because of injuries he had suffered.
11.
Pennsylvania State Police responded after Eugene Coon had attempted to have his neighbor quiet the party and exhausted in failing that, fired rifle shots to quiet the party crowd.