On December 30th, 1969, Vandalia Police Lieutenant James E. Bohanan was on an undercover stakeout when he suffered critical injuries from getting shot.

He had volunteered for a sting operation led by Secret Service agents at a local motel. He was on the first floor while the agents were all on the second, near a room where two of them were set to buy counterfeit bills from two suspects. When shots broke out, Lieutenant Bohanan ran up the stairs to help. But just then another agent—mistaking him for one of the suspects—fired, hitting Bohanan in the chest. As he retreated down the stairs, the agent fired again and hit him in the face.

James died of his injuries at the scene.

Lieutenant Bohanan was 42 years old at the time of his death, and had served with the Vandalia Police Department for 12 years. He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and brother.

James had previously served with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office. He was widely known for being considerate, friendly, and dedicated to helping others, both within and outside the department. His lifelong ambition was to become a police officer, and he had worked hard to get there. Over the years, he had also become a national champion marksman. In honor of his ultimate sacrifice, Vandalia’s former Lockbourne Drive was renamed James E. Bohanan Memorial Drive.