Former Chester police chief Madden dies at 64

Former Chester Police Chief Aaron Madden died Monday after an illness. He was 64.

Madden, a military veteran, worked for the Chester Police Department for more than 25 years, starting as a patrol officer and rising up to the chief’s job. He was chief from 1994 to 1998 when he retired.

In 1989, Madden was forced to shoot and kill a man who had beaten up his wife and threatened to kill Madden and other officers with a baseball bat.

Madden also was credited during his time on the force for saving a 3-year-old child by using cardio-pulmonary resuscitation.

After retirement, Madden made one unsuccessful run for Chester County Sheriff in 2004. He served Chester as a city judge from 2006 through 2008.

Madden was a well-respected person whose service to his community remains appreciated, Chester City Councilwoman Annie Reid said.

“Chief Madden was a person that people in this community thought of as being fair and decent,” she said. “A good man.”

Madden was fiercely loyal to his community and to his fellow officers. The shooting death in November of City Councilman Odell Williams, a retired Chester police officer, stunned and angered Madden, after the two men had worked together for decades.

Officers from both the Chester Police Department and Chester County Sheriff’s Office are expected to be part of the services on Thursday.

This story was originally published September 2, 2015 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Former Chester police chief Madden dies at 64."