Oran H. Pape
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Oran H. "Nanny" Pape (1907 - April 30, 1936) was a member of the Iowa State Patrol from Dubuque, Iowa, United States. To date, he is the only member of the Patrol to have been murdered in the line of duty, and the first member of the Patrol to have died in the line of duty.
Prior to joining the Patrol, he was a prominent local athlete. As a lifeguard he saved the lives of over 100 people. Pape played at the high school, college, and professional levels. Pape played on the Dubuque Senior High School's 1924 Iowa State championship football team. Later Pape played football for the University of Iowa. Following college Pape played football on the professional level.
Pape was appointed to the Patrol in August of 1935, one of the first men to become an officer in the Patrol.
On April 28, 1936, Pape was patrolling U.S. Highway 61 near Muscatine, Iowa. He noticed a car that had been reported stolen. After pulling the car over, Pape approached the car. The driver, Roscoe Barton, pointed his gun at Pape and ordered him into his car. Barton drove away with Pape as his hostage. A short while later, Pape saw an opportunity to overpower Barton, and the two began struggling. During the struggle, Barton was shot in the head, and Pape was shot in the abdomen.
Both men were taken to Mercy Hospital (now Genesis Medical Center) in Davenport. Barton died from his injuries soon after arriving. Pape was treated for his gunshot wound. But his condition eventually took a turn for the worse. Doctors were unable to transfuse blood into him because of his collapsed veins.
Pape died at 2:40pm on April 30. He was buried at Linwood Cemetery in Dubuque. Pape's badge number 40, was retired from service.
The death of Oran Pape is one of the main reasons the Patrol began the practice of "cross drawing" guns. In this practice, officers wear their guns opposite their strong arm. In theory, an officer would be able to hold on to a person with their strong arm and be able to draw their weapon at the same time.
