Michael J. Burns

Baltimore Police Dept. — Baltimore, MD

Accident

End of Watch January 22, 1917

Age 28

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 3 mo

The Vigil Panel 32 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 150

Incident

Police Officer Michael Burns was electrocuted while attempting to relight an electric street light in front of 4012 Park Heights Avenue.

A citizen flagged down Officer Burns, who was on bicycle patrol, and complained that the light was flashing. Officer Burns stood on his bike and attempted to relight the light by pulling on the chain, but the lamp exploded and threw him into the street. The lamp then fell into the street and Officer Burns became tangled in the live wires and was electrocuted.

Officer Burns had served with the Baltimore City Police Department for one year and was assigned to the Bicycle Squad in the Northeastern District.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four young children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-B3429038
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

You barely got started.
Police Officer Burns gave the Baltimore City Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Burns.

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

Agency

Department Baltimore Police Dept.

Location Baltimore, MD

Platform Identity baltpd.baltimore.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 22, 1917

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 3 mo

Age 28

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Police Officer Michael J. Burns is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MD, 140 of 377 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.1% of this state's fallen. That is 6.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Baltimore Police Dept., 52 of 151 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 34.4% of this agency's fallen.

Baltimore Police Dept.

of 151 officers

34.4% Accident

MD — Statewide

140

of 377 officers

37.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident