THE INDIANAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT 1950

The Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) (September 1, 1854 – December 31, 2006) was the principal law enforcement agency of Indianapolis, Indiana, under the jurisdiction of the Mayor of Indianapolis and Director of Public Safety. Prior to the consolidation with the Law Enforcement Division of the Marion County Sheriff's Department to form the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, 1,230 sworn police officers and 250 non-sworn personnel were employed by the department. NOTE: The pictures are NOT specifically of Officer Sowers ~ I was unable to locate any pictures of him.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indianapolis_Police_Department
• https://www.indy.gov/activity/impd-history
• https://impdmountedpatrol.org/history-impd-mounted-patrol/
• OLD DAYS VIDEO: https://youtu.be/Wfezev9Ws18

  ---

YOUTH SHOT BY OFFICER WHILE RIFLING AUTO

A city policeman on leave critically wounded an 18-year-old youth attempting a theft from a car last night at Strickland Motors, Inc., used car lot, 1320 North Meridian Street.

Lowell Robert Henderson, 18, 4733 North Stratford Avenue, is in critical condition at General Hospital. He was hit with a single shot from the gun of Oren Sowers, 32, 2702 Carrollton Avenue, as he ran from the North Meridian Street address.

Sowers, on leave of absence from the Police Department and an employee of the automobile firm, was on duty last night at the firm’s used car lot when he saw two youths take two mirrors from a parked car, then a tire and wheel from the car trunk.

Police officials here said Sowers had completed his years’ probation prior to becoming a member of the force, but that a foot injury presently barred him from active duty. He was put on leave of absence and is not on the police payroll. However, he still has a police badge and officially is a member of the force.

Sowers ordered them to stop. He fired one shot when they kept on running, hitting Henderson in the abdomen. Henderson’s 17-year-old companion was taken to Juvenile Aid Division. Henderson is charged with preliminary burglary.

Police found a car belonging to Henderson parked on 13th Street, containing auto accessories, five quarts of motor oil, and a pair of wire cutters.

ACCUSED TEEN THIEF DEAD OF BULLET WOUNDS

Lowell Robert Henderson, an 18-year-old father accused of third-degree burglary, died yesterday in General Hospital of gunshot wounds inflicted by a night watchman.

Henderson, whose home was 4733 Stratford Avenue, was shot Monday night as the watchman, Oren Sowers, 2702 Carrollton Avenue, observed him and companion stripping cars on a used car lot of Strickland Motors, Inc., 1320 North Meridian Street.

Monday was the first anniversary of Henderson’s wedding.

His wife, Mrs. Marilyn Henderson, who was at home with the couple’s 3-month old son, could not believe police when they told her her husband had been shot in a burglary attempt.

Funeral services will be held Friday at 10:30 a.m. in the Irvington Chapel of Moore & Kirk Mortuary and later at New Belville, where burial will be made.

Henderson, a member of the 10th Street Methodist Church and of DeMolay, was shot as he and a 17-year-old companion attempted to flee the Strickland used car lot. Sowers told police he saw the youths removing two rear view mirrors from a car. When they started running, Sowers said he shouted at them to stop.

Sowers has been on leave of absence form the Indianapolis Police Department for several months because of a temporary foot disability.

Other survivors of the youth are the parents, Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Henderson, 4749 Stratford Avenue, and a sister, Miss Florence Henderson.

Henderson attended Tech High School. He was discharged recently after a year’s service in the Army.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Collection

http://www.digitalindy.org/cdm/impd

Starting in 1821 with the earliest sheriff in Marion County, public safety has a long record of service in Indianapolis. This digital archive spans much of the Indianapolis Police Department (IPD) and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) histories. Inside you will find arrest logs from the early 1900s, information about some of the very first policewomen, mug shots from the turn of the century, IPD personnel records, and video footage of policing from the 1980s and 1990s. If all major events in IMPD's history were written out, it would be a book. So for the sake of brevity and clarity, please browse this timeline as a way of orienting yourself in Indianapolis police tradition.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109503023/lowell-robert-henderson
https://www.newspapers.com/clip/36352628/the-indianapolis-news/ https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27807165/lowell-henderson-obit/ http://www.peoplebyname.com/people/Sowers/Oren

315 Welcome Way Boulevard East, Indianapolis, IN 46214

http://ssdmf.info/by_number/pages/191897.html Social Security number 713-18-9011 was issued to OREN C SOWERS, who was born 09 April 1918 and, Death Master File says, died 08 September 1999.

• Military_service: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States - 15 Jul 1946
• Residence: Indianapolis, Marion, Indiana, United States
• Residence: Franklin, Marion, Indiana, United States - 1920
• Residence: Lawrence, Marion, Indiana, United States - 1930
  • Reference: FamilySearch Genealogy - SmartCopy: Jun 30 2020, 18:15:01 UTC