Benjamin Tobias Thornton

Indianapolis Police Dept. — Indianapolis, IN

Illness

End of Watch June 18, 1900

Age 51

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

The Vigil Panel 16 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 58

Incident

Detective Benjamin Thornton succumbed to pneumonia after a multiday stakeout for a murder suspect at 1118 Lafayette Street in Indianapolis.

On May 31 and June 1, 1900, there was torrential rainfall in Indianapolis. During the day, Detective Thornton was searching for bicycle thieves. For two nights, he participated in the stakeout for the murder suspect who killed Patrolman John Shipp of the Cleveland Division of Police on May 6, 1900, until the suspect was captured on Saturday, June 2, 1900. Detective Thornton became ill but continued to work until June 8, 1900, when he was confined to his house with acute pneumonia and inflammation of the left lung. Ten days later, he passed away at his home at 11:30 p.m.

Detective Thornton was born a slave in Virginia and had fled in 1862 with help from the Fourteenth Massachusetts and the Sixteenth Indiana Regiments. He traveled to Indiana, attended school, and worked various jobs until he was appointed by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in May 1875.

Detective Benjamin had served with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for 25 years and was appointed detective in 1886.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-3521BCD0
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Benjamin. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

25 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Thornton gave the Indianapolis Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Indianapolis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Thornton.

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

Agency

Department Indianapolis Police Dept.

Location Indianapolis, IN

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

Service Record

End of Watch June 18, 1900

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Cause Detail Duty related illness

Detective Benjamin Tobias Thornton is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IN, 13 of 503 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.6% of this state's fallen. That is 6.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

At Indianapolis Police Dept., 1 of 59 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 1.7% of this agency's fallen.

Indianapolis Police Dept.

of 59 officers

1.7% Illness

IN — Statewide

of 503 officers

2.6% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness