On the evening of Sunday, September 30, 1906, Officer Edward J. Petticord, a 37-year-old male, and his partner, Officer Charles Russell, were investigating a drunken fight near 24th Street and Indianapolis Avenue. The officers stopped two men for questioning. As Officer Russell attempted to search one of the men, he was shot at close range.
While the first suspect fled, Officer Petticord pursued him. It was then that the second man drew a revolver and shot Officer Petticord in the back.
Both officers were transported to City Hospital, where Officer Russell died shortly after their arrival. Officer Petticord succumbed to his wounds two days later.
A large-scale search was immediately launched, with officers and detectives scouring the city, searching outbound streetcars and trains, and monitoring the suspects' known locations. The suspect who shot Officer Petticord, a 28-year-old man, was arrested the following day. He was later convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death. On February 8, 1907, he became the last person to be executed by hanging in Indiana. The second suspect, a 36-year-old, was killed in a shootout with law enforcement in Kentucky on August 25, 1908.
