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Detective

James M. Compton Jr.

Indianapolis Police Department — Indianapolis, IN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 16, 1976

Age 29

Tour of Duty 7 yrs 1 mo

The Vigil Panel 256 · Column 2 · Line 4 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Also Remembered Department 58

Incident

Detective James Compton was shot and killed while attempting to serve a narcotics warrant on a man suspected of selling marijuana to students at a nearby high school at 2145 North Gent in Indianapolis. Detective Compton and three other detectives went to the man's home at approximately 10:00 pm to serve the warrant. When Detective Compton knocked on the door and identified himself, the suspect fired a shotgun from inside, striking him in the head. Detective Compton was able to crawl to the front yard, where he collapsed before being transported to a local hospital, where he died approximately two hours later. The other detectives returned fire at the suspect, fatally wounding him. Detective Compton was a United States Navy Vietnam Purple Heart veteran who had served with the Indianapolis Police Department for five years and with narcotics for only six weeks and had previously served as a police officer in Kansas for two years.

Survivors

Detective Compton was survived by his wife, 6- and 11-year-old daughters, and a 5-year-old son.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Detective Compton gave the Indianapolis Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Indianapolis community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Indianapolis Police Department

Type Other

Location Indianapolis, Marion County, IN

Platform Identity ipd.marion.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 16, 1976

Tour of Duty 7 yrs 1 mo

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

James M. Compton Jr. served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

James is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1976, 137 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 30th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

James was 29. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. James had served 7.1 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded