Henderson Police Department, Kentucky
End of Watch: Monday, November 21, 1955
Age: 24
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: 39
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 21, 1955
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentence commuted to life
Patrolman Jack Rainier was shot and killed by one of two men as he investigated their presence on a used car lot shortly after midnight.
He was found with the driver's license of one of the suspects in his hand. One of the suspects was arrested a short time later at the Henderson bus station. Later in the day the other suspect was captured near Jonesboro, Arkansas, in a stolen truck.
Both suspects, ages 18 and 19, were wanted in Fort Branch, Indiana, where they robbed a filling station and shot at state police as they ran through a road block the previous night. The 19-year-old gunman was sentenced to death. His sentence was later commuted to life.
Patrolman Rainier was a Korean War veteran.