Ebert Crout

Middletown Police Department — Middletown, OH

Felonious

End of Watch May 6, 1928

Age 32

Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 55 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Incident

Patrolman Crout and Patrolman Harold Roth were shot and mortally wounded by a man they surprised operating a liquor still in a gravel pit. As the officers were attempting to take the suspect into custody, he grabbed Patrolman Crout's service revolver and shot both of them. The suspect was captured a short time later, along with his father and another man who were with him at the time of the shooting. Both officers died from their wounds hours later. The suspect was transported to a jail in a neighboring county because of fear of being lynched. The next day officers were on their way back with the suspect when he suddenly jumped from the vehicle and ran. He was shot three times after he ignored orders to halt. The next day the suspect was shot and killed by a police officer in his hospital room when he tried to take the officer's service revolver away from him. Patrolman Crout had served with the Middletown Police Department for 2.5 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-F7727380
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.
Patrolman Crout gave the Middletown Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Middletown community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Crout.

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

Agency

Department Middletown Police Department

Location Middletown, OH

Platform Identity mpd.butler.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 6, 1928

Tour of Duty 2 yrs 6 mo

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Shot and killed

Patrolman Ebert Crout 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 OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Middletown Police Department, 5 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62.5% of this agency's fallen.

Middletown Police Department

of 8 officers

62.5% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious