Gregory A. May
Agency patch
Corporal

Gregory A. May

Maryland State Police — Pikesville, MD
Accident
End of Watch January 19, 1986
Age 31
The Vigil Panel 130 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Corporal Gregory May and Trooper Carey Poetzman were killed in a helicopter accident while responding to a medical transport request. The officers had been dispatched from the Frederick Airport in Frederick County to Carroll County to transport a gunshot victim. Their helicopter encountered Instrument Meteorological Conditions and crashed in a heavily wooded area of Leakin Park in Baltimore City. The crash caused the Maryland State Police to look for a more powerful and safer aircraft.

Survivors

Corporal May was survived by his wife and son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MD-574B974B
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.
Corporal May served with the Maryland State Police.
Thank you for your service to the people of Maryland. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corporal May.

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

Agency

Location Pikesville, MD
Platform Identity msp.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 19, 1986
Age 31
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Corporal Gregory A. May 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 MD, 140 of 377 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 37.1% of this state's fallen. That is 6.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Maryland State Police, 28 of 42 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Maryland State Police
28
of 42 officers
66.7% Accident
MD — Statewide
140
of 377 officers
37.1% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Gregory A. May's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Gregory A. May Compares

Age at End of Watch
31
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Gregory A. May is highlighted in Jan.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location