St. Paul Police Department, Minnesota
End of Watch: Friday, May 22, 1970
Age: 28
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 6 months
Badge Number: 450
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 22, 1970
Weapon Used: Rifle
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Officer James Sackett was shot and killed by two suspects after responding to an emergency call at 859 Hague Avenue. When he arrived, he was ambushed from across the street by a suspect with a high-powered rifle.
The phone call was a false emergency call with the intention of killing a law enforcement officer.
Two suspects associated with the Black Panthers were originally questioned, but no charges were immediately filed due to lack of evidence.
The two suspects were finally arrested and charged with Officer Sackett's murder in January 2005, 35 years after the murder. Both suspects were sentenced to life in prison in 2006. In 2008 one of the suspects had his conviction overturned and was awarded a new trial. He pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and was released in 2010. As of 2022, the shooter is still incarcerated.
Officer Sackett was a United States Air Force veteran and had served with the St. Paul Police Department for 18 months. He was survived by his wife and four children.