LaPorte County Sheriff's Office, Indiana
End of Watch: Sunday, September 21, 1980
Age: 30
Tour of Duty: 3 years
Badge Number: 28
Cause of Death: Vehicular assault
Date of Incident: September 21, 1980
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 12 years
Patrolman Neil Thompson was killed when a suspect fleeing other officers in a stolen ambulance intentionally rammed his patrol car.
Patrolman Thompson had pulled his marked squad car well off the travel portion of the roadway to avoid the oncoming speeding ambulance. The driver swerved off the roadway and intentionally struck the officer's stopped patrol car. The 38-year-old suspect, who has been in and out of mental institutions for 17 years, was convicted of reckless homicide and vehicle theft. He was convicted under a new state law in which he was found guilty but insane. This gave officials the discretion of having him serve his 12 years in a prison, a mental hospital, or some of both.
Patrolman Thompson was a United States Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He had served with the LaPorte County Police Department for three years. He was survived by his wife, parents, brother and sister.
In 2002, State Road 39 from U.S. 6 to U.S. 30 in LaPorte County was dedicated the Neil G. Thompson Memorial Highway in his honor.