James M. Compton Jr.

Indianapolis Police Department — Indianapolis, IN

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 16, 1976

Age 29

Tour of Duty 7 yrs 1 mo

The Vigil Panel 117 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 58

Incident

Detective James Compton was shot and killed while attempting to serve a narcotics warrant on a man suspected of selling marijuana to students at a nearby high school at 2145 North Gent in Indianapolis. Detective Compton and three other detectives went to the man's home at approximately 10:00 pm to serve the warrant. When Detective Compton knocked on the door and identified himself, the suspect fired a shotgun from inside, striking him in the head. Detective Compton was able to crawl to the front yard, where he collapsed before being transported to a local hospital, where he died approximately two hours later. The other detectives returned fire at the suspect, fatally wounding him. Detective Compton was a United States Navy Vietnam Purple Heart veteran who had served with the Indianapolis Police Department for five years and with narcotics for only six weeks and had previously served as a police officer in Kansas for two years.

Survivors

Detective Compton was survived by his wife, 6- and 11-year-old daughters, and a 5-year-old son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-1F22733E
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.
Detective Compton gave the Indianapolis Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Indianapolis 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 Indianapolis Police Department

Type Other

Location Indianapolis, Marion County, IN

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

Service Record

End of Watch March 16, 1976

Tour of Duty 7 yrs 1 mo

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

James M. Compton Jr. served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective James M. Compton Jr. 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In IN, 311 of 504 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.7% of this state's fallen. That is 61.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Indianapolis Police Department, 38 of 59 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.4% of this agency's fallen.

Indianapolis Police Department

of 59 officers

64.4% Felonious

IN — Statewide

311

of 504 officers

61.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious