Bio

Tommie J. Smith was born on February 6, 1954. He grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. His upbringing was troubled as he faced many challenges while growing up. By the time he was 15 years old, Smith began to have conflicts with the law. He was in and out of juvenile and adult correctional facilities. His early life was marked by a series of legal troubles and criminal behavior, which set the stage for later events in his life.

During his teenage years, Smith became known to the police for various offenses. He was involved in significant criminal activities, which included serious crimes that eventually led to a police investigation. By December of 1980, he was under scrutiny for multiple serious offenses, including armed robbery and murder.

By the time he entered adulthood, Smith had established a reputation as a career criminal. His criminal history was already extensive when he was arrested at the age of 26. He spent a considerable amount of time in legal troubles before facing more severe consequences for his actions later in life.

Murder Story

On December 11, 1980, at around 5:30 a.m., Tommie J. Smith was involved in a shooting incident that resulted in the death of Indianapolis Police Sergeant Jack Ohrberg. The police were attempting to serve arrest warrants at a duplex located at 3544 North Oxford Street. Sergeant Ohrberg, along with other officers, knocked on the door and identified themselves as police. When there was no response, they decided to force the door open, which was barricaded by furniture.

As Sergeant Ohrberg attempted to open the door, Smith, armed with an AR-15 rifle, and Gregory Resnover, fired multiple shots at Ohrberg. Ohrberg was hit in the abdomen and collapsed on the porch. In the midst of the gunfire, Smith was reported to have come out onto the porch and fired additional shots into Ohrberg, who was already wounded.

The confrontation continued as other officers took cover and returned fire. Eventually, both Gregory Resnover and another accomplice surrendered, discarding their weapons. Smith was found injured inside the house, and an AR-15, identified as the murder weapon, was discovered nearby.

In total, at least sixteen rounds of gunfire were exchanged during the incident. Smith and Resnover were arrested and charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder. A jury later convicted them, and both were sentenced to death. During the trial, the prosecution argued that Smith intentionally ambushed Sergeant Ohrberg, highlighting the tragic nature of the case and its impact on law enforcement.

After numerous legal proceedings, including appeals to higher courts, Smith's conviction and sentence were upheld. He was executed by lethal injection on July 18, 1996, becoming the first person in Indiana to be executed by this method since the death penalty was reinstated in the state.