100 years ago today the Marquette Police Department suffered undeniably the worst day in its history. Two officers, Police Chief Martin Ford and Patrolman Thomas Thornton, were killed in the line of duty. They were involved in a shootout with a young man caught in a criminal act, and, along with the fugitive, lost their lives in the violent episode.
Fortunately, thankfully… since then, no Marquette police officers have experienced such a fate.
In the same incident, Lloyd Ford, the nineteen year old son of Chief Ford, also died from wounds suffered in the incident. Though some reports infer Lloyd was a member of the police force, he wasn’t. A few of the facts have become distorted over time.
Accounts of the events of August 23rd, 1924 come from a variety of sources, including a number of reports in the Mining Journal at the time of the deadly confrontation, and an historical accounting using photos and information supplied by the Marquette Regional History Center, as seen above in a Journal retrospective.
Other local historians have told the story of that tragic day in books and presentations. Authors Sonny Longtine and Fred Rydholm, as well as storyteller Jim Koski, have sourced information from survivors of the fallen officers still alive in the area. 100 years later, details are vague… like the fuzzy photos found in old clippings and microfiche film, but the salient fact that four men lost their lives is clear.
A Tragic Day
On the morning of the 23rd, officer Thornton came upon a young man attempting to break into a downtown drug store. Thornton exchanged gunfire with the man, later identified as 20 year old Oscar Lampinen of Deerton. Thornton’s partner, Walter Tippett, heard the gunshots and joined the altercation, chasing after the fleeing Lampinen. Thornton, who had been shot by the skilled marksman, was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital, where he died later that day.
By then, Chief Ford had been alerted to the encounter and, along with Lloyd joined the chase, which had progressed to the Chocolay River area in Harvey. There, more shots were fired between the three pursuers and Lampinen, and both Chief Ford and his son were struck down. Ford died at the scene, while Lloyd, who was in fact not on the force, was mortally wounded and would succumb to his wounds two days later, on the day of his father’s funeral. Tippett, according to his testimony, spotted Lampinen trying to escape across the river and hit him with two shots, ending the chase and Lampinen’s life.
A Personal Connection
This story is noteworthy in its own right, but it also holds personal meaning for me. Chief Ford was my wife’s grandfather. Lloyd would have been her uncle. She is one of a number of descendants still in the area, none of whom were around until many years after that tragic day.
Mary and Martin Ford had five children. One child had passed away years earlier, and Lloyd was killed along with his dad. That left three daughters, who lost their father and brother in what today is called a mass shooting. For my wife’s mother, Eileen Ford Kroken, and her older sisters, Ramona Ford Fassbender and Lyda Ford Shalkey, life would never be the same. Though there was a memorial fund started for the officer’s widows, there was no formal compensation program like we might find today. As such, the city assigned proprietorship of the Presque Isle pavilion store to Mrs. Ford, which she operated until her retirement some years later.
Eileen, just five at the time, recalled the men coming to their home on Genesee with the news of both her dad and brother being shot. Beyond that, she remembered her dad’s body displayed in their parlor until his funeral. Ramona’s memories were similar, but she was understandably reluctant to dwell on the devastation caused to the family. In fact, for the rest of her life, she never liked the smell of flowers. Their scent reminded her of the flowers that filled their home, along with the bodies of the two men in her life.
Patrolman Thornton, 26, died in the hospital with his wife and two children by his side. Officer Tippett left the force shortly after the shootings and took a job at the Marquette Branch Prison. He worked there for two years before joining relatives in the iron industry of western Marquette County. Tippett’s first day on the job at the Barnes Hecker Mine was the day the mine caved in, taking his life along with fifty others.
A Daily Reminder
Though it’s been one hundred years since we’ve lost an officer, current Marquette Police Chief Ryan Grim says it’s something that isn’t lost on those who make up our police force. “The biggest concern as we move along in our policing career changes from our own safety, to worry about our families if something happens to us. Will they be safe, taken care of, healthy, able to move on?
“With that being said, I believe being a police officer is such a rewarding career that the danger we face is completely worth it. Marquette is such a special place in so many different ways, and having the responsibility to keep it safe is an honor.”
As we remember Thomas Thornton, and Lloyd and Martin Ford, 100 years after their untimely deaths, let’s also keep in mind those who wear the uniform today. In keeping us safe, may they be safe as well.