Indianapolis Police Department, Indiana
End of Watch: Saturday, September 8, 1951
Age: 37
Tour of Duty: 9 years
Badge Number: 634
Cause of Death: Automobile crash
Date of Incident: September 8, 1951
Weapon Used: Automobile
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Detective Sergeant James Gaughan was killed in an automobile accident while responding to a disturbance call.
The patrol car that Detective Sergeant Gaughan and his partner were riding in was struck by another vehicle at the intersection of North and Alabama streets. Both detectives were thrown to the pavement by the impact, killing Detective Sergeant Gaughan and injuring his partner. The driver of the vehicle was charged with reckless homicide and failure to stop at an intersection.
Detective Sergeant Gaughan had served with the Indianapolis Police Department for nine years and was scheduled to leave on vacation with his family at the end of his shift. He was survived by his wife, an 11-year-old son and a 7-year-old daughter.