Cleveland Division of Police, Ohio
End of Watch: Sunday, December 7, 1919
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 15 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 7, 1919
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Patrolman Robert Shelton was shot and killed while walking a prisoner to jail at 2:00 am.
He had arrested the man on Euclid Avenue near East 66th Street after catching the suspect and another man burglarizing a drug store. Because no patrol wagons were available to take the man to jail, Patrolman Shelton began to walk him toward the station house. As they walked down East 55th Street, the man produced a gun he had concealed in his overcoat pocket and shot Patrolman Shelton, who succumbed to his wounds at a local hospital. After an investigation, the suspect was apprehended in Toledo, Ohio.
The suspect was convicted of Patrolman Shelton's murder and sentenced to life in prison. In October of 1954, he escaped from an outside work program. On March 6, 1957, he was captured in Barberton, Ohio.
Patrolman Shelton had served with the Cleveland Police Department for 15 years. He was survived by his wife and son.