News : Local sheriff remembered as one who died in line of duty during Police Week

It was cold on November 4, 1938 when the Benton County Sheriff, Leland A. “Sam” Fry, and two other law enforcement officers went to the home of John McLennan in Garrison in search of an escaped prisoner named Leak C. Crowe.

Crowe had been arrested on October 15, 1938 for questioning after he had been suspected of stealing about $50.00 worth of items from a car in Vinton, and later escaped from the Benton County Jail. At approximately 1:30 p.m. that day, Sheriff Fry, acting on a tip, entered the McLennan house unarmed to confront Crowe, who responded by shooting Sheriff Fry in the abdomen with a Colt .45 automatic.

Deputy Jack Franklin pulled Fry to safety as Crowe continued to shoot at the officers. A posse of approximately 100 men and boys from the Garrison and Vinton area surrounded the house. Sporadic gunfire was exchanged, tear gas grenades brought from Vinton were thrown into the house, and Crowe ultimately killed himself with the same pistol he had used to shoot Fry.

Sheriff Fry, 38, succumbed to his injuries and died at 5:50 a.m. the next morning, leaving behind a wife, Hazel, and two children, Dale, 14, and Shirley, 9.

Many Benton County residents have never heard of Sheriff Fry, a popular man who was described in the book, Pioneer Recollections from Benton County, as “square, considerate of others, dependable and upright” and “fearless, firm, yet never the bully.”

Sheriff’s Fry’s name is one of nearly 19,000 law enforcement officers’ names dating back to 1792 that are engraved on the marble walls of the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Other nearby agencies have lost a total of 21 officers in the line of duty representing the La Porte City Police Department, Chelsea Marshal’s Office, Traer Police Department, Independence Police Department, Blackhawk County Sheriff’s Office, Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Rapids Police Department and Marion Police Department.

In all, 171 Iowa officers have been killed in the line of duty demonstrating many times that officers in rural America face the same dangerous people and situations as their big city counter parts.

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed into law a bill designating May 15th as Peace Officers Memorial Day and directing government officials to fly the United States flag at half staff in recognition of the sacrifices of peace officers nationwide. The calendar week preceding May 15 was designated as National Police Week. Numerous ceremonies and events are held around the country and at the National Law Enforcement Memorial which was dedicated in 1991. Referring to the thousands of names recorded on the National Law Enforcement Memorial, President George H.W. Bush said, “Carved on these walls is the story of America, of a continuing quest to preserve both democracy and decency, and to protect a national treasure that we call the American dream.”

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and the National Law Enforcement Museum are both supported by donations. Information on both can be found at www.nleomf.org.