Michael Lee Farnsworth
Agency patch
Police Officer

Michael Lee Farnsworth

Davenport Police Department — Davenport, IA
Felonious
End of Watch December 5, 1971
Age 29
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Badge 0419
The Vigil Panel 109 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Michael Farnsworth was shot and killed while attempting to apprehend a suspect connected to the armed robbery of a Chicago police officer's motel room. The suspect was convicted of second-degree murder but released after only 16 years. The suspect then went on to become a guest lecturer at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. When citizens found out about this atrocity, the program he was lecturing for was suspended. Officer Farnsworth had served with the Davenport Police Department for less than one year.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and newborn baby.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-2E812101
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

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

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Davenport, Scott County, IA
Platform Identity dpd.scott.ia.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 5, 1971
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Age 29
Badge Number 0419
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Police Officer Michael Lee Farnsworth 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 97,756 officers honored here.

In IA, 129 of 226 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.1% of this state's fallen. That is 57.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Davenport 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.

Davenport Police Department
4
of 6 officers
66.7% Felonious
IA — Statewide
129
of 226 officers
57.1% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,756 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Lee Farnsworth's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Michael Lee Farnsworth Compares

Age at Death
29
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Lee Farnsworth is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Michael Lee Farnsworth was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909