Detective Glen Dewayne Shortt (1937-2026)

Glen was born on April 1, 1937 in Pound, Virginia, the first child born to Glen and Nokie (Boggs) Shortt.

On April 4, 1954, four days after his 17th birthday, Glen joined the United States Army. After basic training and specialty training, he was assigned to the 711th Airborne Ordinance Battalion of the 11th Airborne. In early 1956, the Airborne was deployed to Augsburg, Germany to serve as a strategic nuclear-age counterweight against Soviet forces. The 711th Ordnance Battalion was tasked with providing mobile, modular logistical and ammunition support capable of surviving a battlefield fragmented by tactical nuclear weapons. On March 26, 1957, at the age of 19, Specialist 3rd Class Shortt was as honorably discharged.

Glen joined the Middletown Police Department in 1959. He graduated from the Dayton Police Academy and began his career on a walking beat. In March 1961, he and another officer were involved in a shootout with two brothers on Highland Street. Only one brother was armed and shot, and transported to the hospital in critical condition. In October 1964, Patrolman Shortt and another officer found a doctor’s office being burglarized and caught the burglar after a short foot pursuit. The burglar was found to have burglarized four other doctors’ offices. In May 1965, he was involved in the arrest of a man who murdered another in a tavern on Clinton Street. On August 13, 1966, Patrolman Shortt traveled to Kansas City to be trained as one of Southwest Ohio’s first Canine officers. In November 1972, he saved a four-year-old boy trapped in an upstairs bedroom during a house fire on Middletown-Eaton Road. By March 1977, he had been promoted to Detective and caught a suspect in a five-year-old murder. Detective Shortt was involved in another shootout on Germantown Road. The suspect was wanted in Kentucky for Armed Robbery and Escape. Detective Shortt retired in 1989 with 33 years of service to his country and community.

Detective Shortt is reported to have died on September 15, 2026 at the age of 89.

Detective Short is survived by his son, retired Middletown Detective David Short, et al.

We will update this obituary as more information is received.

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