Detective Louis L. Shirley

Detective Louis L. Shirley | New York Central Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police Detective Louis L. Shirley | New York Central Railroad Police Department, Railroad PoliceDetective Louis L. Shirley | New York Central Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police
New York Central Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police
Detective Louis L. Shirley | New York Central Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police
Detective Louis L. Shirley | New York Central Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police
Detective Louis L. Shirley | New York Central Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police
Detective Louis L. Shirley

New York Central Railroad Police Department, Railroad Police

End of Watch Saturday, April 14, 1923

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Louis L. Shirley

Detective Louis Shirley was shot and killed while patrolling the New York Central rail yards in downtown Elkhart, Indiana.

He was shot in the back twice when he interrupted the burglary of railroad cars near the passenger terminal. Detective Shirley had voluntarily started his shift 30 minutes early but was shot at 5:23 pm, only 23 minutes later.

A suspect was arrested but convicted only of manslaughter and sentenced to a maximum of two to 21 years in prison. The suspect was later sentenced to life in prison after a conviction of being a habitual offender.

Detective Shirley was a United States WWI veteran and had served with the New York Central Railroad Police Department for three years. He was survived by his widowed mother.

He is buried at Rice Cemetery in Elkhart, Elkhart County, Indiana.

Bio

  • Age 28
  • Tour 3 years
  • Badge Not available
  • Military Veteran

Incident Details

  • Cause Gunfire
  • Location Indiana
  • Weapon Gun; Unknown type
  • Offender Convicted of manslaughter

burglary

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Det. Shirley, my Dad spent several years with the NYCRR and his Dad and Brother both worked there. Five of those years my Dad was a Railroad Cop. He loved his time with the railroad and frequently longed to go back, but ended up with a fantastic career with my hometown's PD. I bring it up because, there is a bit of railroad in my blood and a career in law enforcement makes me appreciate the Railroad Police like few outside your ranks can and I find it distressing that there are so many fewer in your ranks these days. All that aside, God Bless you and your descendants and I trust you are resting at peace, having earned it by helping to protect one of America's greatest assets, it's railroads.

Ptl. Jim Leahy, Jr.
Harvard University Police Department

April 14, 2024

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