John Welch

Evansville Police Department — Evansville, IN

Felonious

End of Watch April 14, 1862

The Vigil Panel 2 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Constable John Welch succumbed from injuries suffered the previous day when he was shot by an escapee.

Constable Welch had located the suspect hiding on a flatboat. As he approached the boat the suspect opened fire, striking Constable Welch twice. After falling, the suspect's mother beat Constable Welch with a stick. Other officers transported him to a local hospital where he died the next day.

Constable Welch was survived by his wife.

Survivors

Constable Welch was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-CD2E6A4A
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

164 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Constable Welch served with the Evansville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Evansville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Evansville Police Department

Location Evansville, IN

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

Service Record

End of Watch April 14, 1862

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Constable John Welch 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 Evansville Police Department, 3 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Evansville Police Department

of 4 officers

75% Felonious

IN — Statewide

311

of 503 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious