Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Frederick M. "Fritz" Passau

Metropolitan Police Department — Washington, DC

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch May 17, 1899

Age 42

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Badge 235

The Vigil Panel 15 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 130

Incident

Sergeant Fritz Passau was shot and killed while searching for a double murder suspect in a house on Fowler's Hill. The suspect was hiding in the attic and as Sergeant Passau passed by he was shot in the back twice. The suspect surrendered after hiding in the house for several more hours. The suspect were convicted of Sergeant Passau's murder and sentenced to death. He was executed by hanging on August 18, 1899, in Rockville, Maryland, for the two previous murders. Sergeant Passau had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for 11 years and was assigned to the 7th Precinct. He was born in Germany and was a Freemason who had served in the United States Army.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children and is burited in section 13 of Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-DC-41C002D2
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Passau gave the Metropolitan Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— 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 May 17, 1899

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 42

Badge Number 235

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Executed in 1899

Military Service

Frederick M. "Fritz" Passau served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Sergeant Frederick M. "Fritz" Passau 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