Indianapolis Police Department, Indiana
End of Watch: Tuesday, February 7, 1933
Age: 52
Tour of Duty: 19 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 7, 1933
Weapon Used: Rifle; Machine gun
Suspect Info: Five sentenced to life and paroled
Sergeant Lester Jones was shot and killed by an outlaw gang when he interrupted a robbery in progress. The suspects opened fire with a machine gun. Five suspects were arrested six weeks later in Covington, Kentucky. They were returned to Indiana and confined in the Hamilton County Jail. On February 9, 1934, one escaped from jail. He was captured in Cincinnati, Ohio, ten weeks later. He was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life. He was paroled in 1967. In 1934 two others pleaded guilty to second degree murder and were sentenced to life. One applied for a parole in 1951 and was paroled at some point between 1951 and 1955. The other one was paroled in 1956. In 1935 the last two, including the gunman, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life. They were paroled in 1953.
Sergeant Jones had served with the Indianapolis Police Department for 19 years.