Thomas C. Barnard

Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Police Department — Baltimore, MD

Felonious

End of Watch June 1, 1921

Age 31

The Vigil Panel 41 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 21

Incident

Lieutenant Thomas Barnard was shot and killed at Morgantown and Kingwood Junction (Rowlesburg), West Virginia while attempting to arrest several men who were trespassing on a train.

He was climbing onto the train car when one of the men shot him in the head without warning. His body was found a short time later by a brakeman. A posse intercepted the train in Terra Alta, West Virginia, and two of the men were wounded in a shootout with a Preston County constable.

The man who shot Lieutenant Barnard was a U.S. Army deserter who had spent several years in prison. He was arrested and charged with murder.

Lieutenant Barnard was assigned to the Cumberland Division. He was buried in Saint Marys Cemetery in Petersville, Maryland.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-6752B374
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: September 9, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Lieutenant Barnard served with the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Barnard.

— 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 June 1, 1921

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Lieutenant Thomas C. Barnard 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 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 97,772 officers

0% Felonious