Patrolman Ira Leon Evans

Ira Leon Evans

Patrolmen Ira Evans and Leo Gorski were shot and killed when they responded to a bank robbery in progress at Central and East Hennepin Avenues.

As they exited their patrol car, two of the suspects opened fire on them with a shotgun and machine gun. Both officers were fatally wounded. The suspects escaped but were eventually apprehended.

One of the shooters was also responsible for the murder of Marshal John Rose of the Kirksville, Missouri, Police Department on November 17, 1930. The suspect was sentenced to life in prison.

In 1934 the suspect was believed to have gone insane and was transferred to a state hospital. Two years later he led an escape of 15 inmates and continued to rob banks. On July 8, 1936, he shot and killed Officer Cal Palmer, of the Enid, Oklahoma, Police Department, after getting drunk in a local bar.

Patrolman Evans had been employed with the Minneapolis Police Department for eight years, and was survived by his wife. He is buried in Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The Barker-Karpis Gang committed violent crimes throughout the American Midwest in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Members and associates of the gang were responsible for the murders of at least ten law enforcement officers.