Former Sheriff
Clyde E. Nichols Jr.
Washington County Sheriff's Department
Sunday, April 1, 1984

Age: 47
Served: 15 years, 6 months
Badge #:
Panel 24E, Line 29 (2015)
Panel L3, Line 13 (2015)

Incident Details

Cause of Death:
Gunfire
Date/Time of Incident:
Sunday, April 1, 1984
11:30 am
Incident to Death Duration:
Same day
Incident Location:
202 East Market Street, Salem
Incident County:
Washington
Incident Township:
Washington
Weapon Used:
.25-caliber handgun
Suspect Disposition:
Died in prison
Burial Place:
Kays Chapel Cemetery, Fredericksburg

Share this Memorial
   

   Former Sheriff Clyde Nichols was shot and killed as he was leaving services at the Salem United Methodist Church in Salem.

   As he, his wife and two teenage daughters were approaching their vehicle parked on East Market Street, a male subject shot former Sheriff Nichols once in the abdomen and twice in the neck with an automatic revolver. He was pronounced dead at Washington County Memorial Hospital in Salem.

   An Indiana State Police sergeant, who had also attended the services, heard the gunfire and arrested the 51-year-old suspect. He was later convicted of murder in a change of venue to Bartholomew County and sentenced to 60 years in prison where he died in 1994.

   The apparent motive was a grudge held by the suspect who blamed police and the courts for some of his property being sold at a tax sale several years earlier.

   Former Sheriff Nichols, a Republican from Salem, began his career as a deputy for one year before being elected to office in 1966 and 1970 to serve two, four-year terms, later serving as captain for another 6½ years until mid-1981.

   He was survived by his wife, son, two daughters, brother, four sisters and mother.




View all fallen officers from the
Washington County Sheriff's Department

Donate in memory of
Former Sheriff Nichols Jr.
Former Sheriff Clyde E. Nichols Jr.- Washington County Sheriff's Department - INLEM.org