John Edward Sawa

Maryland State Police — Pikesville, MD

Felonious

End of Watch March 10, 1987

Age 40

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 131 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 41

Incident

Trooper First Class John Sawa and Trooper Larry Small were killed when their patrol car was struck by a tractor-trailer driven by a drunk driver. The troopers were parked in the median of I-95, near the Maryland 155 interchange in Havre de Grace, when the semi ran off the road and struck the patrol car broadside. The driver of the tractor-trailer was arrested and charged with two counts of homicide with a motor vehicle and one count of drunk driving. Trooper Small was completing his last day of field training when the crash occurred. Trooper Sawa had served with the Maryland State Police for almost five years. He was survived by his wife and two children. His father and one brother also served in the Maryland State Police.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-FE8255B1
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper First Class Sawa gave the Maryland State Police 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Maryland. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper First Class Sawa.

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

Agency

Department Maryland State Police

Location Pikesville, MD

Platform Identity msp.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 10, 1987

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 40

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile; Commercial

Offender Arrested

Trooper First Class John Edward Sawa 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 Maryland State Police, 14 of 42 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Maryland State Police

of 42 officers

33.3% Felonious

MD — Statewide

195

of 377 officers

51.7% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious