Trooper Earl Brown was shot and killed while searching a suspicious subject who was walking with a shotgun along U.S. 31-A in Jackson County.

   He and a Columbus police officer were called to investigate and upon locating the subject, about 400 feet south of the Bartholomew–Jackson county line, he surrendered the shotgun without resistance. As he was being searched, he pulled a Luger from his hip pocket and shot Trooper Brown twice.

   The 31-year-old suspect was shot three times and critically wounded by the Columbus police officer. He was committed for life to the Dr. Norman M. Beatty Memorial Hospital in Westville, a state psychiatric hospital that also served the criminally insane, where he died in 1962.

   Trooper Brown, from Columbus, was assigned to the Seymour post. He was survived by his wife, son, daughter, parents and two brothers, one of whom was a detective with the Columbus Police Department.

Memorial Tribute • In 2012, a Memorial Mile was designated on State Road 11, from the 44-mile marker to the 45-mile marker, in his honor.