Roll of Honor
Incident
Fatally stabbed once in the chest, penetrating his heart, while pursuing a suspect, known to be armed with a kitchen knife, on a towpath of the Tame Valley Canal underneath Gravelly Hill Interchange in Aston, Birmingham.
The suspect had used the knife earlier in the day to threaten a carpenter carrying out routine repair work on a garden gate outside his council house, which led to DC Swindells and some of his colleagues later encountering the suspect on a park bench, then pursuing him down the towpath for over half-a-mile.
Posthumously awarded the Queen’s Gallantry Medal.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-GB-WMP-3017D798- 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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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Constable Swindells served with the West Midlands Police.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Constable Swindells.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective Constable Michael Swindells 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 97,772 officers honored here.
In ENG, 702 of 2,827 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 24.8% of this state's fallen. That is 24.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At West Midlands Police, 4 of 46 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 8.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Swindells's cause is highlighted.
How Michael Swindells Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Swindells is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
45 officers from West Midlands Police are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
