Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Joseph L. O'Brien

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Police Department — Baltimore, MD

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch October 30, 1932

Age 37

The Vigil Panel 65 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 21

Incident

Location: Indiana Incident Date: Saturday, October 29, 1932 Weapon: Shotgun Offender: Charged with murder

Sergeant Joseph O'Brien was shot and killed in East Chicago, Indiana, when he and another officer were ambushed by several subjects who were attempting to steal merchandise from trains as they slowed near the junction of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad junction with the New York Central Railroad, near Indiana Harbor.

The officers had watched two trains pass by and were walking back to their car, parked on Cline Avenue, when they were ambushed by a group of five men. One of the men opened fire on them with a shotgun, striking Sergeant O'Brien in the face and the second officer in the arm and body. The other officer was able to retreat to Cline Avenue, where he flagged down a passing motorist. Responding officers took Sergeant O'Brien to St. Catherine's Hospital, where he died shortly after midnight.

Five men were arrested several days later. The subject who shot Sergeant O'Brien was charged with murder after confessing to the crime. The other four were charged with being accessories to murder.

Sergeant O'Brien was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran of WWI.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-9338CC3F
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. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Joseph 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.
Sergeant O'Brien served with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Baltimore, MD

Platform Identity borpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 30, 1932

Age 37

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Military Service

Joseph L. O'Brien served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Joseph L. O'Brien is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 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 51.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Police Department, 13 of 22 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.1% of this agency's fallen.

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Police Department

of 22 officers

59.1% Felonious

MD — Statewide

195

of 377 officers

51.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious