Probation Officer
Donald Robert 'Charley' Knepple
Allen County Adult Probation Department
Monday, April 28, 1997
Age: 48
Served: 12 years
Not Included
Panel L9, Line 10
Allen County Adult Probation Department

Incident Details

Cause of Death
Gunfire
Date/Time of Incident
Monday, April 28, 1997
10:00 am
Incident to Death Duration
Same day
Incident Location
2712 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne
Incident County
Allen
Incident Township
Wayne
Weapon Used
9 mm handgun
Suspect Disposition
Died by suicide
Burial Place
Greenlawn Memorial Park, <br>Fort Wayne
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   Probation Officer Donald Knepple was shot and killed by a man on probation who planned on killing him at a counseling center in Fort Wayne.

   The 45-year-old suspect, who had been convicted of attempted child molestation, had arranged a meeting with his counselor and Probation Officer Knepple with the intent of killing them both.

   During the meeting, the suspect shot both Probation Officer Knepple and the 41-year-old clinical supervisor to death before he fled to the rear of the center and died by suicide.

   Probation Officer Knepple, from Fort Wayne, was survived by his wife, 16-year-old son, 13-year-old daughter, mother, two brothers and sister. At the time of the incident Probation Officer Knepple, like other officers in his department, was not armed.

Military Service

      

United States Army – Indiana Air National Guard
Vietnam War
1968–1970

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This officer has been denied inclusion on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.

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Allen County Adult Probation Department

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