Roll of Honor

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Officer

Donald Ralph Kline

Hagerstown Police Department — Hagerstown, MD

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch December 13, 1975

Age 40

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Badge 19

The Vigil Panel 116 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Officer Donald Kline was shot and killed when he interrupted an armed robbery in a grocery store at the corner of Baltimore Street and Frederick Street at about 9:30 pm. He was off duty and inside shopping when a man entered and robbed the owner. When the suspect left, Officer Kline pursued him on foot. In the ensuing shootout, Officer Kline was struck three times in the chest and killed. The suspect, who was an escapee from Pennsylvania, was also wounded in the chest and taken into custody. He was sentenced to life in prison. Officer Kline was a United States Marine Corps Korean War veteran and had served with the Hagerstown Police Department for 14 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-970C1F1E
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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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.
Officer Kline gave the Hagerstown Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Hagerstown 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 Hagerstown Police Department

Location Hagerstown, MD

Platform Identity hpd.washington.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 13, 1975

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 40

Badge Number 19

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .25 caliber

Offender Sentenced to life

Military Service

Donald Ralph Kline served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Officer Donald Ralph Kline is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MD, 195 of 377 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 51.7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.5 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Hagerstown Police Department, 4 of 6 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Hagerstown Police Department

of 6 officers

66.7% Felonious

MD — Statewide

195

of 377 officers

51.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious