George Yaros

Gary Police Department — Gary, IN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 11, 1981

Age 57

Tour of Duty 29 yrs

The Vigil Panel 124 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 14

Incident

Lieutenant George Yaros was shot and killed responding to a bank robbery at the Gary National Bank at 3680 Broadway while on duty. When Lieutenant Yaros arrived on the scene, he was shot by one of the three robbery suspects. As the suspects fled to their getaway car, the same suspect shot Lieutenant Yaros at close range. A high-speed pursuit and shootout by police resulted in the suspect's car crashing into a tree. The shooter fled on foot and with the aid of bystanders was discovered walking nearby before being apprehended. All three suspects were charged and convicted of murder, but the jury recommended death only for the shooter with the other two suspects being sentenced to 60 years in prison. One of those offenders was discharged in February 2011 while the other was denied parole on January 22nd, 2008. In 1993, the Indiana Supreme Court affirmed the conviction, but overturned the shooter's death sentence. Following a new jury's recommendation, he was again sentenced to death in 1996, but the Indiana Supreme Court overturned this death sentence in 2002. On October 17th, 2008, the offender was resentenced to serve a 60-year term for murder and a 14-year term for robbery under a plea agreement. He was released on February 6th, 2017, after having his sentence reduced for good behavior while in prison. Lieutenant Yaros had served with the Gary Police Department for 29 years and was due to retire in six months to accept a job at the bank where he was killed. He served in WWII as a paratrooper for the 101st Airborne Division of the US Army and was wounded at the Battle of the Bulge. He was captured by the Germans and taken to a prisoner-of-war camp, only to escape. He was survived by his wife, son, two daughters and two grandchildren. The Black Panther Party was a black nationalist and Marxist revolutionary political and militant organization active in the United States between 1966 and 1982. Members and former members of the group were responsible for the murders of

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, two daughters and two grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-71B5C67B
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
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.
Lieutenant Yaros gave the Gary Police Department 29 years.
Thank you for your service to the Gary 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 Gary Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Gary, Lake County, IN

Platform Identity garypd.lake.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 11, 1981

Tour of Duty 29 yrs

Age 57

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

George Yaros served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Lieutenant George Yaros is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 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 61.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Gary Police Department, 10 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Gary Police Department

of 15 officers

66.7% Felonious

IN — Statewide

311

of 503 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious