Jan 22, 2025 Story by: Editor
Benjamin Thornton, armed with a pistol and pressed against a wall, found himself surrounded by a gang of thieves, pickpockets, and highwaymen intent on killing him.
The Indianapolis police detective was stationed at the Peru, Indiana, train station during a gathering of Democratic leaders. A criminal mob had flooded the area, and Thornton, alongside other Indianapolis officers, had been recruited to bolster security.
As a train reversed into the station, Thornton seized the opportunity to escape and leaped aboard. However, he was pursued by around 20 criminals, led by a “big Irishman with a knife.” Thornton dashed into an empty car, drew his gun, and prepared to defend himself.
“I told them that if they stepped inside the car door the first man would die,” Thornton later recalled in an Indianapolis newspaper. “I had my pistol pointing at them, and I held them at bay.”
This life-threatening encounter occurred on Oct. 19, 1888, but it was far from the first time Thornton narrowly evaded danger. As Indiana’s first Black police detective and an early advocate for civil rights, he had been navigating perilous situations since his escape from slavery nearly 30 years earlier.
Now, 124 years after succumbing to pneumonia during a stakeout to capture a murder suspect, Thornton has been posthumously awarded a Purple Heart and honored with a place on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., recognizing his death in the line of duty.
These accolades pay tribute to a trailblazing detective who earned national acclaim for his investigative prowess and paved the way for future Black officers, as detailed in Pearsey’s book about Thornton, subtitled “The Fly Detective of Indianapolis.”
“I think it was important that he was successful at his job and good at his job,” said Pearsey, civilian archivist for the Indianapolis Police Department. “That created a climate where others could follow in his footsteps.”
“YOU WON’T KICK ME”
Thornton was born into slavery in Virginia in 1849. By 1861, as the Civil War began, he was hired out to plow fields for a farmer near Winchester.
When an older enslaved man on the farm escaped, the landowner became enraged and began kicking and striking the 12-year-old Thornton. That night, Thornton resolved to flee.
Under the moonlight, he ran away, taking food for his journey. Emerging from the woods, he encountered a battlefield strewn with corpses. In that moment, he vowed to serve his country and honor those who had died for freedom, he later told a newspaper.
Thornton eventually found a Union Army brigade led by an Indiana colonel, who allowed him to join their march. Befriending soldiers from Richmond, Indiana, he learned the city was welcoming to African Americans.
In 1862, he boarded a freight train to Richmond, where he found work at a restaurant. After the war, he moved to Indianapolis and later to Kansas City, where he met his wife, Essie Moore. The two married in 1877.
By 1870, Thornton had returned to Indianapolis as a literate, self-educated 21-year-old. He became a passionate civil-rights advocate, reading the newly ratified 15th Amendment aloud at a local celebration in 1872.
Thornton’s interest in law enforcement emerged after an incident in 1873 when he saw officers kicking a Black youth. Thornton advised the boy to file charges, prompting the officers to threaten him.
“No, you won’t kick me,” Thornton replied defiantly. “I’m a man.” He was arrested for resisting but later acquitted of disturbing the peace.
Thornton’s bid for public office began in 1874 and 1876 when he ran unsuccessfully for township constable. However, in 1876, a police shooting that killed a Black man spurred city officials to hire the first Black officers, including Thornton.
Starting as a jailer, Thornton quickly distinguished himself by solving high-profile cases. His dedication earned him a promotion to beat cop in 1877, and in 1888, he became Indiana’s first Black police detective.
Thornton’s exceptional skills and use of forensic science set him apart. In an arson case, he identified a suspect using microscopic analysis of partially burned matches, marking the first documented use of forensic evidence in an Indiana court.
A LEGACY OF COURAGE
Despite his respected position in Indianapolis, Thornton faced racism elsewhere. During an investigation in Illinois, newspapers labeled him a “bogus” detective because of his race.
Thornton also championed civil rights, challenging school segregation and promoting housing equity. He even testified against racial discrimination in public spaces.
However, his commitment to justice sometimes led to clashes with police administrators. In 1893, he was temporarily suspended after defending two Black men accused of murder, citing insufficient evidence against them.
Thornton’s final case involved staking out a suspect during a rainstorm, which exacerbated his asthma. He developed acute pneumonia and passed away on June 18, 1900, after 24 years of service.
Following his death, former colleagues remembered Thornton as “the most efficient officer on the force” and “a man of utmost integrity.”
In 2023, Thornton’s line-of-duty death was officially recognized, and his name was added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C.“He deserves to be remembered, and he deserves to be on the wall,” said Jo Ann Moore, a former Indianapolis police sergeant. “He stood for everything a good police officer wants to stand for.”
The following account is based on “Benjamin Thornton: The Fly Detective of Indianapolis,” by Patrick Pearsey, unless otherwise noted. Source: Commercial News
