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Officer Down Memorial Service
Each year, on the Wednesday of Police Week in May, the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office holds a memorial service to honor the fallen officers of Montgomery County and beyond. We invite and encourage the public to attend this service. We visit our fallen officers' gravesides, then meet at the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office at 5:00PM for a service at the memorial monument.
Mark Clapp
EOW: 12/05/2003
New Richmond Town Marshal Mark Clapp suffered a fatal heart attack after a violent struggle with a 17-year-old domestic violence suspect. Marshal Clapp and his son, a county jail officer, responded to a domestic dispute at 10:30AM. As Marshal Clapp's son waited in the patrol car, Marshal Clapp accompanied the suspect into his home. While inside, they became engaged in a struggle. Marshal Clapp's son was unaware of the struggle until a local deputy arrived at the scene and requested assistance when Marshal Clapp fell ill. Marshal Clapp died at the hospital early the following day of a heart attack. The suspect was taken into custody by the responding officers. The suspect was charged as a juvenile and convicted of battery and resisting law enforcement but was found not guilty of manslaughter. Marshal Clapp had served as the New Richmond Town Marshal for 22 years at the time of his death. During that time, he had only worn a generic shoulder patch. He had a new patch designed and received it only one week before his death but never had a chance to wear it. Marshal Clapp was survived by his wife and son.
New Richmond
Waynetown Town Marshal Lesley Oaks was killed in a single-vehicle accident during a pursuit. A motorcyclist had been pursued westbound into Fountain County on US 136 west of Waynetown when an Indiana State Police trooper stopped its driver. As Marshal Oaks, who had joined the pursuit with Crawfordsville police, approached the scene he had lost control of his squad car, left the roadway, and struck a tree. The 23-year-old male driver was charged with criminal recklessness, fleeing law enforcement, resisting arrest, and speeding. Marshal Oaks had also served as the chief jailer for the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office. He was survived only by his parents.
Lesley Dale Oaks
EOW: 05/03/1982
Russell Baldwin
Waynetown
Crawfordsville Police Lieutenant Russell Baldwin was killed by an armed robbery suspect after stopping the suspect who had just robbed a grocery store of $240. During the traffic stop at the 300 block Lafayette Avenue, the subject exited his vehicle with a gun hidden behind his back. As Lieutenant Baldwin was exiting his patrol vehicle, the subject produced the gun and shot Lieutenant Baldwin three times, leaving him lying on the pavement with his gun still holstered. The suspect was apprehended two days later and was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. When Indiana's death penalty was declared unconstitutional, he was sentenced to life in prison, where he died in 2009. Lieutenant Baldwin was a US Army Korean War veteran and had served with the Crawfordsville Police Department for 12 years. He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
EOW: 08/27/1974
Crawfordsville
The Officer Down Memorial Page is a website dedicated to honoring the law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty and service to their communities in the United States. If you wish to learn more about the officers who've fallen in your community, or wish to report a fallen officer, feel free to use the link seen to the right to be redirected to their website.
