Joseph M. Cournoyer

Metropolitan Police Department — Washington, DC

Felonious

End of Watch January 29, 1985

Age 30

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Badge S-240

The Vigil Panel 129 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 130

Incident

Sergeant Joseph Cournoyer was shot and killed while questioning a suspect who had just robbed a store. Sergeant Cournoyer observed one of the men board a Metro bus near the Minnesota Avenue Metro station and escorted him off of the bus for identification purposes. The suspect began to struggle with Sergeant Cournoyer and drew a gun and shot him in the chest. The suspect was sentenced to first-degree murder in August 1985. The jury took less than an hour to convict him.

Survivors

Sergeant Cournoyer had been with the agency for six years and was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-DC-401D50A9
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.
Sergeant Cournoyer gave the Metropolitan Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Cournoyer.

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

Agency

Department Metropolitan Police Department

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity mpdc.dc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 29, 1985

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 30

Badge Number S-240

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Convicted of First-Degree Murder

Sergeant Joseph M. Cournoyer is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In DC, 754 of 1,419 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Metropolitan Police Department, 70 of 131 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.4% of this agency's fallen.

Metropolitan Police Department

of 131 officers

53.4% Felonious

DC — Statewide

754

of 1,419 officers

53.1% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious