Matthew C. Gebhardt

Fort Wayne Police Department — Fort Wayne, IN

Felonious

End of Watch March 10, 1926

Age 36

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 50 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Officer Matthew Gebhardt was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two brothers for being drunk in public. One of the brothers was able to obtain control of Officer Gebhardt's service revolver and opened fire. The shots struck both Officer Gebhardt and the man's brother, killing both. The 21-year-old suspect was arrested and sentenced to life in prison for Officer Gebhardt's death. In 1933 he tricked doctors into thinking he had tuberculosis after he drink shellac. He was granted a 60 day parole for treatments. Once out he immediately joined John Dillinger and his gang and committed several robberies in Indiana and Kentucky. He was captured in East Chicago several weeks later and returned to prison. It was later discovered he committed several robberies during the years before he murdered Officer Gebhardt. He was paroled in 1944 but sent back to prison in 1946 to finish his life sentence after he was caught for safe cracking at the Farmer Supply store in Peru. He was paroled again in 1967. Officer Gebhardt had served with the Fort Wayne Police Department for two years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-AC009359
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.
Officer Gebhardt gave the Fort Wayne Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Wayne community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Gebhardt.

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

Agency

Department Fort Wayne Police Department

Location Fort Wayne, IN

Platform Identity fwpd.allen.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 10, 1926

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 36

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Paroled in 1967

Officer Matthew C. Gebhardt 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 Fort Wayne Police Department, 2 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Fort Wayne Police Department

of 6 officers

33.3% Felonious

IN — Statewide

311

of 503 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious