Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Timothy Nielson succumbed to injuries sustained one month earlier when a house exploded as a result of being filled with natural gas.
Patrolman Nielson and another officer had responded to 904 S. McKinley Avenue to investigate reports of a suicidal man. When the officers arrived, they located the man in the backyard, but he suddenly ran into the house. The officers followed him into the house and were inside for several minutes when the house suddenly exploded.
Patrolman Nielson sustained burns to 45% of his body and was partially trapped in the wreckage of the home. The other officer sustained burns to 30% of his body and remained in critical condition for several weeks.
Investigation revealed that, prior to the arrival of the officers, the suspect had disconnected the natural gas line from his stove and turned the valve on to its highest setting. The house filled with gas while the man was outside. After the officers chased the man into the home, one of the officers fired a taser at the man. The spark from the taser may have caused the gas to ignite, resulting in the explosion. The suspect died the day after the explosion.
Patrolman Nielson had served with the Joplin Police Department for four years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, two children, parents, and siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MO-62169B12- 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
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Nielson gave the Joplin Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Joplin community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Nielson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman Timothy Andrew Nielson 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 MO, 237 of 813 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.2% of this state's fallen. That is 1.8 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Joplin Police Department, 4 of 21 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 19% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Timothy Andrew Nielson's cause is highlighted.
How Timothy Andrew Nielson Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Timothy Andrew Nielson is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
20 officers from Joplin Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
