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Earl LeRoy Brown
Agency patch
Trooper

Earl LeRoy Brown

Indiana State Police — Indianapolis, IN
Felonious
United States flag Indiana flag
End of Watch August 31, 1955
Age 42
Tour of Duty 14 yrs 10 mo
The Vigil Panel 91 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 45

Incident

Trooper Earl Brown was shot and killed while searching a suspicious subject who was walking with a shotgun in Jackson County. Trooper Brown and a Columbus police officer were called to investigate a suspicious man walking with a shotgun along U.S. 31-A. Upon locating the subject, about 400 feet south of the Bartholomew and Jackson county line at 5:00 am, he surrendered the shotgun without resistance. As he was being searched, he pulled a pistol from his hip pocket and shot Trooper Brown twice. The 31-year-old suspect was shot three times and critically wounded by the Columbus police officer. He was later judged to be insane and was committed to a maximum-security facility for life. In 1962 he was transfered to the state mental hospital where he died on November 13, 1962. Trooper Brown had served with the Indiana State Police for nearly 15 years and was assigned to the Seymour post. He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, and two brothers, one of which was a detective with the Columbus Police Department. He was preceded in death by a daughter.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents, and two brothers, one of which was a detective with the Columbus Police Department.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper Brown gave the Indiana State Police 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Indiana. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper Brown.

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

Agency

Department Indiana State Police
Type State Police
Location Indianapolis, IN
Platform Identity insp.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 31, 1955
Tour of Duty 14 yrs 10 mo
Age 42
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Earl is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1955, 53 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 135th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Earl was 42. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Earl had served 14.8 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Indiana State Police has 46 officers remembered here, Earl among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Trooper Earl LeRoy Brown

Indiana State Police · End of Watch August 31, 1955

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 56-E

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