Earl LeRoy Brown

Indiana State Police — Indianapolis, IN

Felonious

End of Watch August 31, 1955

Age 42

Tour of Duty 14 yrs 10 mo

The Vigil Panel 91 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 45

Incident

Trooper Earl Brown was shot and killed while searching a suspicious subject who was walking with a shotgun in Jackson County. Trooper Brown and a Columbus police officer were called to investigate a suspicious man walking with a shotgun along U.S. 31-A. Upon locating the subject, about 400 feet south of the Bartholomew and Jackson county line at 5:00 am, he surrendered the shotgun without resistance. As he was being searched, he pulled a pistol from his hip pocket and shot Trooper Brown twice. The 31-year-old suspect was shot three times and critically wounded by the Columbus police officer. He was later judged to be insane and was committed to a maximum-security facility for life. In 1962 he was transfered to the state mental hospital where he died on November 13, 1962. Trooper Brown had served with the Indiana State Police for nearly 15 years and was assigned to the Seymour post. He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, and two brothers, one of which was a detective with the Columbus Police Department. He was preceded in death by a daughter.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, and two brothers, one of which was a detective with the Columbus Police Department.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-D2FB45C0
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.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Brown gave the Indiana State Police 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Indiana. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Brown.

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

Agency

Department Indiana State Police

Location Indianapolis, IN

Platform Identity insp.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 31, 1955

Tour of Duty 14 yrs 10 mo

Age 42

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; Luger

Offender Died in mental institution

Trooper Earl LeRoy Brown is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IN, 311 of 503 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Indiana State Police, 21 of 46 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 45.7% of this agency's fallen.

Indiana State Police

of 46 officers

45.7% Felonious

IN — Statewide

311

of 503 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious