Sergeant
John Edward Hatfull
Indiana State Police
Monday, April 13, 1987
Age: 45
Served: 14 years, 2 months
Panel 25E, Line 10
Panel L3, Line 7
Indiana State Police

Incident Details

Cause of Death
Gunfire
Date/Time of Incident
Monday, April 13, 1987
05:45 pm
Incident to Death Duration
Same day
Incident Location
309 Tile Factory Road
Incident County
Posey
Incident Township
Black
Weapon Used
Shotgun
Suspect Disposition
Died by suicide
Burial Place
Oak Hill Cemetery, Evansville
Share this memorial

   Sergeant John Hatfull was shot and killed while leading an emergency response team into the rural home of a suicidal man in Posey County.

   He was airlifted from the scene to Welborn Hospital in Evansville where he died about an hour later.

   The 47-year-old man, who had held police at bay for over two hours, died by suicide.

   Sergeant Hatfull, from Evansville, was assigned to the Evansville post. He was survived by his wife, 12-year-old son, 18-year-old daughter and mother. After his death, he was promoted to lieutenant, the agency's only officer to ever receive a posthumous promotion.

  

Military Service


United States Marine Corps
1961–1965

Memorial Tribute

• In 2013, the Interstate 64 bridge over the Big Bayou River in Posey County was dedicated the Sergeant John E. Hatfull Memorial Bridge in his honor.



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