Officer Benjamin F. Bish

Benjamin F. Bish

Officer Benjamin Bish was shot and killed while checking an alley between Tejon Street and Cascade Avenue, south of Pikes Peak Avenue, in downtown Colorado Springs.

During his check he observed two men he believed to be burglarizing nearby businesses. Officer Bish found a revolver in one of the men's pockets and began to escort them out of the alley and towards the police station. The other man then pulled out a concealed handgun from under his coat and shot Officer Bish once in the chest. Although mortally wounded, Officer Bish was able to return fire while laying on the ground.

A posse was formed shortly after the incident to search for the suspects. One of the suspects had committed suicide shortly after the incident and the other was arrested and spent the rest of his life in jail.

Officer Bish was a veteran of the Colorado State Militia.