Barry Penrose Karper

Harrisburg Police Bureau — Harrisburg, PA

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch July 20, 1963

Age 24

Tour of Duty 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 98 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 6

Incident

Patrol Officer Barry Karper and Patrol Officer Joseph O'Shura were killed in an automobile crash at the end of a three-mile-long pursuit while chasing a stolen vehicle shortly after 1:30 am. Both officers spotted a vehicle that was reported stolen a week earlier in the area of Market Street and immediately gave chase. As both officers were following behind the stolen vehicle, the driver hit his brakes at a high rate of speed while attempting to make a right turn onto Division Street, losing control of the vehicle and striking a group of trees. Officer O'Shura, who was driving, swerved left to avoid striking the auto and struck the same group of trees. The driver of the stolen vehicle and both officers were pronounced dead at the scene. Officer Karper was a U.S. Army veteran and served with the Harrisburg Police Bureau for six months.

Survivors

He was survived by both of his parents, sister, brother, and Maternal Grandmother.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-PA-47A2E95C
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Barry is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrol Officer Karper served with the Harrisburg Police Bureau.
Thank you for your service to the Harrisburg community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Harrisburg Police Bureau

Type Police Department

Location Harrisburg, PA

Platform Identity hpbpd.dauphin.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 20, 1963

Tour of Duty 6 mo

Age 24

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Weapon Automobile

Military Service

Barry Penrose Karper served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrol Officer Barry Penrose Karper is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In PA, 417 of 1,261 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.1% of this state's fallen. That is 33.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Harrisburg Police Bureau, 4 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 57.1% of this agency's fallen.

Harrisburg Police Bureau

of 7 officers

57.1% Accident

PA — Statewide

417

of 1,261 officers

33.1% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident