Michael Janson Barwick
Agency patch
Police Officer

Michael Janson Barwick

Accident
End of Watch August 29, 2002
Age 27
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
The Vigil Panel 150 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Michael Barwick was killed in an automobile crash at 2:20 am during a vehicle pursuit of a stolen car.

The pursuit started after Officer Barwick and his partner spotted the vehicle and attempted to stop it. During the pursuit, a minivan collided with Officer Barwick's patrol car at 25th Street and St. Louis Avenue. The collision caused the patrol car to go airborne, land on its side and burst into flames. Other units stopped and pulled Officer Barwick and Officer Christian from the vehicle. Both officers were transported to a local hospital where Officer Barwick succumbed to his injuries.

Other officers chased the vehicle off and on for over an hour. The driver and its passenger were both finally apprehended and were both charged with felony murder in connection with Officer Barwick's death. The suspect driving the car was convicted of the charges in September 2003 and sentenced to 12 years in prison. The suspect in the passenger seat was sentenced to 18 years in prison.

Officer Barwick had served with the St. Louis Police Department for two years and was assigned to the 4th District.

In 2007, a portion of Interstate 44 from Kings Highway to the City limits, was renamed the Police Officer Michael J. B Barwick Interstate in his honor.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-1F4E73E1
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Barwick gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Barwick.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location St. Louis, MO
Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 29, 2002
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Cause Detail Vehicle pursuit
Weapon Automobile

Police Officer Michael Janson Barwick is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,787 officers honored here.

In MO, 237 of 813 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.2% of this state's fallen. That is 29.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 56 of 176 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.8% of this agency's fallen.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department
56
of 176 officers
31.8% Accident
MO — Statewide
237
of 813 officers
29.2% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,787 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Janson Barwick's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Michael Janson Barwick Compares

Age at Death
27
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
2
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Janson Barwick is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location

Where the Name Is Cut