Trooper Earl LeRoy Brown

Earl LeRoy Brown

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.