Sheriff Harry L. Wolfe, aged 59, was killed on January 21, 1982, while responding to a burglary call in Plain City, Ohio. Wolfe, a United States Army WWII veteran and a dedicated officer with the Union County Sheriff's Office for 29 years, was shot by a suspect while investigating a burglary at a rural home on Robinson Road. The dispatcher on duty heard Sheriff Wolfe tell the suspect to come over and then heard gunshots through the automated alarm system.
The suspect, identified as
32-year-old Stanley Penn, was later found to be in prison on Riker's Island in New York under an alias. Penn was arrested and extradited to Ohio in December 1982. Initially, he entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity, but later changed his plea to guilty. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 27 years. Penn died in prison in February 2020.
Sheriff Wolfe's death was a significant event that deeply affected the Union County community and law enforcement agencies across Ohio. Wolfe is remembered and honored annually at the memorial ceremony for fallen law enforcement officers. His legacy continues to be a topic of discussion and remembrance in the community.
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