Frederick Strother Barton

Louisville Police Department — Louisville, KY

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch August 3, 1937

Age 34

Tour of Duty

The Vigil Panel 73 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 90

Incident

Patrolman Fred Barton was accidentally shot and killed by another officer attempting to clear his jammed firearm at the Jefferson County Armory at 4:10 pm. The officers were at the firing range when a sergeant's gun failed to fire. The Sergeant went to the locker room where sixteen other recruit officers, including Patrolman Barton, were waiting their turn on the firing line. The Sergeant was dismantling his gun to remove the cartridge, which failed to fire. While doing this, the cartridge fired, and the bullet struck Patrolman Barton. He died at City Hospital from a bullet wound to the left side in front and below his left armpit. Patrolman Barton was a United States Navy veteran who had served with the Louisville Police Department for only 19 days and was in the middle of his academy training.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two sons, a daughter, mother, brother, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-KY-1A13F62A
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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Frederick 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.
Patrolman Barton served with the Louisville Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Louisville 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 Louisville Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Louisville, Jefferson County, KY

Platform Identity lpd.jefferson.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 3, 1937

Tour of Duty

Age 34

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Frederick Strother Barton served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Frederick Strother Barton 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 KY, 161 of 983 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.4% of this state's fallen. That is 16.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Louisville Police Department, 34 of 91 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.4% of this agency's fallen.

Louisville Police Department

of 91 officers

37.4% Accident

KY — Statewide

161

of 983 officers

16.4% Accident

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Accident