Orren N. Shelmadine

Elkhart Police Department — Elkhart, IN

Accident

End of Watch February 9, 1920

Age 54

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 38 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Police Officer Orren Shelmadine was struck by a train while walking across the tracks at a railroad crossing near a passenger station.

Witnesses testified that Officer Shelmadine did not hear the train approaching from the east as he was looking towards the passenger station to the west. He was unable to clear the crossing in time and was dragged approximately 300 feet.

Officer Shelmadine had served with the Elkhart Police Department for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-0AED681F
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.
Police Officer Shelmadine gave the Elkhart Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Elkhart community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Shelmadine.

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

Agency

Department Elkhart Police Department

Location Elkhart, IN

Platform Identity epd.elkhart.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 9, 1920

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 54

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Police Officer Orren N. Shelmadine is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IN, 151 of 503 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Elkhart Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Elkhart Police Department

of 4 officers

50% Accident

IN — Statewide

151

of 503 officers

30% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident