Indiana State Police promote Bremen native to Investigative Squad Leader

Monday, June 22, 2026 at 6:00 PM

By Kathy Bottorff

Indiana State Police Superintendent Anthony Scott has announced the promotion of Detective Patrick O'Keefe to the rank of Sergeant, where he will serve as the Investigative Squad Leader at the Indiana State Police Bremen Post. In his new role, Sgt. O'Keefe will oversee the detectives assigned to the post, a position he earned through a competitive process that included written testing and a formal interview.

The promotion marks a homecoming of sorts for O'Keefe, who grew up in Bremen and graduated from Bremen High School in 2006. He went on to attend Indiana University Bloomington and Indiana University South Bend, earning a degree in Criminal Justice in 2010.

Alongside his law enforcement career, Sgt. O'Keefe has built an impressive record of military service. He received his commission to the United States Army through the University of Notre Dame ROTC program and served in the National Guard from 2005 to 2009, qualifying as Airborne Infantry. He later transitioned to a commission as an Officer in Aviation in 2010 and completed Army Flight School in 2013.

In 2015, O'Keefe was deployed to the Middle East, where he served as a Platoon Leader in an Air Assault Company flying UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters. He was deployed again in April 2020, this time as a Captain commanding an Assault Helicopter Company in support of combat and support operations in Iraq and Syria, flying UH-60M Black Hawks. He currently serves as a Staff Officer in the 38th Combat Aviation Brigade.

O'Keefe's law enforcement career began when he graduated from the 70th Indiana State Police Recruit Academy in March 2011 and was assigned to the Bremen Post. He served on patrols in Marshall and Elkhart Counties before transitioning to detective work at the Indiana State Police Toll Road Post in 2022, a role he held until his recent promotion.

Sgt. O'Keefe lives in Elkhart County with his wife and two children.