Jane E. Thompson-Bowman, a 36-year-old African American female police officer with the Columbus Division of Police, tragically died on January 3, 1981. She succumbed to injuries sustained eight years earlier when she was shot in the abdomen with a .25 caliber handgun while assisting other officers on a narcotics search warrant. The injury required 30 surgeries and resulted in her being hospitalized 60 times before she finally succumbed to it.
The shooter was apprehended and sentenced to
100 years in prison. Officer Thompson-Bowman's death marked her as the first female officer with the Columbus Division of Police to be killed in the line of duty. She had served with the department for three years at the time of the shooting and is remembered for her dedication and sacrifice.
Officer Thompson-Bowman is survived by her husband, Andrew L. Bowman, her daughter, Kristina Thompson, three stepchildren, and her mother, Joyce Thomas. Her legacy continues to be honored by the Ohio Attorneys General Bureau of Criminal Identification & Investigation and the Columbus Division of Police.
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