Roll of Honor

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Lieutenant

Thomas L. Kleis

Beech Grove Police Department — Beech Grove, IN

Accident Veteran →

End of Watch May 28, 1991

Age 43

Tour of Duty 17 yrs

Badge 15

The Vigil Panel 137 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Lieutenant Thomas Kleis was killed in an automobile crash during a high-speed chase. He lost control of his patrol car and hit a row of trees at the 5600 block of Shelbyville Road at 3:20 am. The juvenile who fled from the police was found guilty of reckless homicide and involuntary manslaughter. He was sentenced to six years. Lieutenant Kleis was United States Vietnam War and Indiana National Guard veteran and had served with the Beech Grove Police Department for 17 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, stepson, stepdaughter, mother, father, and two brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-BED0EEA5
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 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 Kleis gave the Beech Grove Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Beech Grove 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 Beech Grove Police Department

Location Beech Grove, IN

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

Service Record

End of Watch May 28, 1991

Tour of Duty 17 yrs

Age 43

Badge Number 15

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Weapon Automobile

Offender vehicle crash

Military Service

Thomas L. Kleis served in the Army (1969â1970) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Lieutenant Thomas L. Kleis 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 Beech Grove Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Beech Grove Police Department

of 4 officers

50% Accident

IN — Statewide

151

of 503 officers

30% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident