Anthony Giniewicz was born in 1953 in Massachusetts.  He graduated from Bridgewater High School in 1971.  He lettered in high school football.  Giniewicz went on to attend Worchester Poly Tech in Massachusetts.  While in college, he was an avid hunter and athlete who enjoyed rowing in the Charles River Regatta and participating in track.  He left college and sailed from Massachusetts to Costa Rica.

Prior to working as a police officer, Giniewicz worked for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections for five years.  He was hired by the Signal Hill Police Department in 1983.  He attended the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Academy in May 1984.  Giniewicz worked patrol and received several letters of commendation.

On February 20, 1985, Officer Giniewicz was critically injured and paralyzed after being shot while responding to a robbery at a restaurant in Long Beach.  Giniewicz and his partner, Officer Steve Owens, had gone to a restaurant after going off duty.  As Officer Owens left the restaurant he was assaulted by three armed men in the parking lot, who took his wallet and personal handgun.  Officer Owens summoned Giniewicz and the two went back outside where they were shot at from the suspect vehicle as it pulled away.  Officer Giniewicz fired back before he was struck, but the suspects were able to escape.

“Although Tony was off-duty when he was injured in 1985, he quickly responded to the situation and engaged the robbery suspects before being shot,” Signal Hill Police Chief Michael Langston said. “We will always be grateful to Tony for his selfless actions serving the community.”

Despite the challenges, Giniewicz continued to enjoy many hobbies.  He was a member of the NRA and Blue Knight Enforcement Motorcycle Club.  His enthusiasm never waned for motorcycles, even buying a Harley with a sidecar so he could continue to ride.  He loved all of Boston’s sports teams and rooted for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics.  He enjoyed Formula One racing and was an avid reader.  In the academy, his class nicknamed him “The Professor” – a name that stuck throughout his career.

Although he survived for many years, Officer Giniewicz was besieged with a myriad of injuries and complications from the shooting and resulting paralysis.  Tragically, he succumbed to those medical complications on December 7, 2011.

Officer Giniewicz is survived by his mother Nellie, son Anthony, stepchildren John and Barbara, sisters Paula, Linda, Elaine, Christine, Diane and Laurie, and former wife Barbara.