Prev Next
Benjamin Tobias Thornton
Agency patch
Detective

Benjamin Tobias Thornton

Indianapolis Police Department — Indianapolis, IN
Illness
United States flag Indiana flag
End of Watch June 18, 1900
Age 51
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
The Vigil Panel 16 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 58

Incident

Detective Benjamin Thornton succumbed to pneumonia after a multiday stakeout for a murder suspect at 1118 Lafayette Street in Indianapolis.

On May 31 and June 1, 1900, there was torrential rainfall in Indianapolis. During the day, Detective Thornton was searching for bicycle thieves. For two nights, he participated in the stakeout for the murder suspect who killed Patrolman John Shipp of the Cleveland Division of Police on May 6, 1900, until the suspect was captured on Saturday, June 2, 1900. Detective Thornton became ill but continued to work until June 8, 1900, when he was confined to his house with acute pneumonia and inflammation of the left lung. Ten days later, he passed away at his home at 11:30 p.m.

Detective Thornton was born a slave in Virginia and had fled in 1862 with help from the Fourteenth Massachusetts and the Sixteenth Indiana Regiments. He traveled to Indiana, attended school, and worked various jobs until he was appointed by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in May 1875.

Detective Benjamin had served with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department for 25 years and was appointed detective in 1886.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtr09p8tb0ne5fd10s2ve
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Benjamin. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

25 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Thornton gave the Indianapolis Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Indianapolis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Thornton.

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

Agency

Department Indianapolis Police Department
Type Other
Location Indianapolis, Marion County, IN
Platform Identity ipd.marion.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 18, 1900
Tour of Duty 25 yrs
Age 51
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail Duty related illness

The Sacrifice · Illness

Benjamin is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. See the roll
  4. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1900, 1 officer in the United States was lost to illness, the 75th heaviest of 108 years on record. The heaviest was 2021, with 564.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Benjamin was 51. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Benjamin had served 25 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

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

When

June holds 4.9% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Mondays: 14.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Indianapolis Police Department has 59 officers remembered here, Benjamin among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Detective Benjamin Tobias Thornton

Indianapolis Police Department · End of Watch June 18, 1900

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 58-E

↑