Joseph P. McGovern

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department — St. Louis, MO

Felonious

End of Watch November 11, 1928

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

The Vigil Panel 56 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 175

Incident

Police Officer Joseph McGovern was struck and killed in a chain reaction accident started by a drunk driver. The drunk driver struck a vehicle at the intersection of Arsenal Street and Iowa Street, which then struck Officer McGovern. The drunk driver was arrested and charged with manslaughter.

Survivors

Officer McGovern had been with the agency for 21 years and was survived by his wife and nine children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MO-A7DB5D86
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

21 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer McGovern gave the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department 21 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the St. Louis community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer McGovern.

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

Agency

Department St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

Location St. Louis, MO

Platform Identity stlopd.saintlouis.mo.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 11, 1928

Tour of Duty 21 yrs

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Offender Charged with manslaughter

Police Officer Joseph P. McGovern 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 MO, 516 of 813 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.5% of this state's fallen. That is 9.3 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, 112 of 176 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63.6% of this agency's fallen.

St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department

112

of 176 officers

63.6% Felonious

MO — Statewide

516

of 813 officers

63.5% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious