St. John Police Department, Indiana
End of Watch: Saturday, February 20, 1971
Age: 56
Tour of Duty: 30 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 20, 1971
Weapon Used: Handgun; .25 caliber
Suspect Info: Two Life Terms; Life
Marshal James Larimer and Indiana State Trooper John Streu were shot and killed while arresting two suspects for kidnapping, robbery, and auto theft.
At 7:00 a.m., the two officers had responded to a report of two suspicious men sleeping in a vehicle behind Kolling Elementary School. The officers handcuffed one of the men and placed him in the cruiser when the second man opened fire, striking Marshal Larimer.
Trooper Streu returned fire, striking the subject. He then left his gun in the front seat and went to the aid of Marshal Larimer. When he did so, the handcuffed man reached over the seat, picked up Trooper Streu's weapon and shot him.
When another Trooper arrived on the scene, the handcuffed suspect shot him through the windshield of his patrol vehicle. Despite being shot in the shoulder, he was able to apprehend the suspect.
One man, who had escaped from a penal farm, was sentenced to two life terms and died in prison in 2009. The other suspect, who was 17, was sentenced to life in prison and was denied parole several times. He subsequently died in prison in 2015.
Marshal Larimer had served with the St. John Police Department for eight years and had previously served with the Hammond Police Department for 22 years. He was survived by his wife and son.