Roll of Honor
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
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BO-US-IN-3521BCD0- Stewardship
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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
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
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective Benjamin Tobias Thornton is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 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 2.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Indianapolis Police Department, 1 of 59 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 1.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Benjamin Tobias Thornton's cause is highlighted.
How Benjamin Tobias Thornton Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Benjamin Tobias Thornton is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
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