Middletown Police Department, Ohio
End of Watch: Saturday, May 5, 1928
Age: 23
Tour of Duty: 2 months, 1 week
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 5, 1928
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Patrolman Harold Roth and Patrolman Elbert Crout were shot and mortally wounded by a man whom they surprised operating a liquor still in a gravel pit.
As the officers were attempting to take the suspect into custody he grabbed Patrolman Crout's service revolver and shot both of them. The suspect was captured a short time later along with his father and another man who were with him at the time of the shooting. Both officers died from their wounds hours later.
The suspect was transported to a jail in a neighboring county because of fear that he would be lynched. The next day officers were on there way back with the suspect when he suddenly jumped from the vehicle and ran. He was shot three times after he ignored orders to halt. The next day the suspect was shot and killed by a police officer in his hospital room when he tried to take the officer's service revolver away from him.
Patrolman Roth had served with the Middletown Police Department for 67 days.