Harry Linn Booton

Des Moines Police Department — Des Moines, IA

Felonious

End of Watch December 11, 1932

Age 42

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Badge 56

The Vigil Panel 65 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 26

Incident

Sergeant Booton was shot and killed after he and another officer stopped two suspicious men parked in front of a laundromat. The suspects were planning on robbing the laundromat and opened fire on the officers when they approached, striking Sergeant Booton in the chest. The suspects were apprehended and brought to the hospital where Sergeant Booton identified the shooter before succumbing to his injuries. Both suspects were convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. One had his sentence commuted to 90 years by the governor and was paroled in 1962. He was returned to prison four months later for violating his parole. He was paroled again September 8, 1966. The other suspect died in prison May 9, 1950. Sergeant Booton had been with the agency for five years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IA-484E1019
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.
Sergeant Booton gave the Des Moines Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Des Moines community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Booton.

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

Agency

Department Des Moines Police Department

Location Des Moines, IA

Platform Identity dmpd.polk.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 11, 1932

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 42

Badge Number 56

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Released after 30 years

Sergeant Harry Linn Booton 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 IA, 129 of 226 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this state's fallen. That is 2.9 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Des Moines Police Department, 16 of 27 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.3% of this agency's fallen.

Des Moines Police Department

of 27 officers

59.3% Felonious

IA — Statewide

129

of 226 officers

57.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious