Panel 45W, Line 29 (2014)
Panel L30, Line 13 (2014)
Incident Details
Cause of Death:Constable Frank Ury was shot and killed while attempting to serve a writ of ejectment on a subject for non-payment of $50 worth of rent.
The man barricaded himself inside his home where he shot and wounded Grant County Deputy Sheriff Fred Certain, who died three days later at Grant County Hospital.
The 67-year-old suspect was subsequently convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison where he died in 1942.
Constable Ury, from Marion, was the Center Township constable elected to four-year terms in office. He was survived by his wife and stepdaughter.
Historical Notes • Constable Ury is the second-oldest known officer killed in the line of duty in Indiana.• This incident was one of 24 which resulted in the line of duty deaths of two officers.Constables were created during the Indiana Territory and continued to exist after statehood in 1816. Depending on the time period, they were either appointed or elected to their positions at the township level with one- or four-year terms in office. Constables had police powers to make arrests with countywide jurisdiction. Since 2004, constables are only authorized by state law in Marion County townships having a small claims court where they are elected to four-year terms in office. |
Read more on our research on Remembering Our Fallen Township Constables in our News Release.