Joseph M. Cournoyer
Agency patch
Sergeant

Joseph M. Cournoyer

Metropolitan Police Department — Washington, DC
Felonious
End of Watch January 29, 1985
Age 30
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Badge S-240
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Joseph Cournoyer was shot and killed while questioning a suspect who had just robbed a store. Sergeant Cournoyer observed one of the men board a Metro bus near the Minnesota Avenue Metro station and escorted him off of the bus for identification purposes. The suspect began to struggle with Sergeant Cournoyer and drew a gun and shot him in the chest. The suspect was sentenced to first-degree murder in August 1985. The jury took less than an hour to convict him.

Survivors

Sergeant Cournoyer had been with the agency for six years and was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Cournoyer gave the Metropolitan Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Cournoyer.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity mpdc.dc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 29, 1985
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 30
Badge Number S-240
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Joseph is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1985, 99 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 52nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Joseph was 30. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Joseph had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

January holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Tuesdays: 13.4%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Joseph among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Sergeant Joseph M. Cournoyer

Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch January 29, 1985

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 16-W

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