“As we that are left behind grow old they shall not grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, WE SHALL REMEMBER THEM.”
The words above are etched on the memorial stones at every Indiana State Police facility throughout the state. On the reverse side of those stones are etched the names of the Indiana State Police employees who have given their lives in service to the citizens of Indiana. Each was a hard working individual who believed in what they were doing and were steadfast in their dedication to serving the citizens of Indiana.
The Indiana State Police was just in its infancy when its first trooper was killed in the line of duty. On December 21, 1933, following a tip that Dillinger gang member Edward Shouse would be at the Frances Hotel in Paris, IL to plan a bank robbery, several members of the Indiana State Police, including Trooper Eugene Teague, along with Illinois police officers were waiting for Shouse. When Shouse and two female accomplices arrived at the hotel, Trooper Teague struck Shouse's car with his vehicle. As Shouse attempted to escape, a gun battle ensued and Trooper Teague was killed in the crossfire.
Since the early days of the Indiana State Police memorial services have been held in May in each ISP districts to perpetuate the memory of those who have died in the line of duty. The service is a way of paying tribute to those who died in the line of duty, that their sacrifice was not made in vain, and as a reminder to those of us left behind that we should strive to maintain the level of professional service to the public our departed comrades so unselfishly gave their lives for.
For a complete listing of Indiana Troopers killed in the line of duty and a summary of their deaths, please visit our In Memoriam page.