Iroquois County Sheriff's Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Friday, July 17, 1931
Age: 45
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 17, 1931
Weapon Used: Handgun; Revolver
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 32 years
Deputy Henry Ennen was shot and killed while attempting to arrest three men who had just robbed the Buckley State Bank.
Deputy Ennen caught up to the suspects after they crashed their vehicle during their getaway. The three suspects immediately opened fire on Deputy Ennen. He returned fire and wounded one of the suspects. During the shootout, Deputy Ennen ran out of ammunition and put his hands up to surrender. When he did so one of the men shot him several times.
The two suspects who weren't wounded fled the scene but were arrested a short time later. Deputy Ennen's killer, 36, was convicted of his murder and sentenced to 32 years. His two companions pled guilty to robbery and were sentenced to one year to life.
On September 14, 1939, Deputy Ennen's killer and two other inmates put a strong sedative in the coffee of five guards who worked the towers. After they fell asleep at their posts, the three placed a ladder against the prison wall and escaped. One guard who was still semi conscience sounded the alarm and all three were caught within 200 yards of the prison. The five guards were rushed to a hospital where three were listed in serious condition and the other two in critical condition. All five survived. The three inmates were charged with five counts of attempted murder. They had been stealing the sedative from the prison hospital a little at the time, over a period of nine months, so no one would notice.
Deputy Ennen was survived by his wife.