Night Watchman

John O'Mayer

Baltimore Police Department — Baltimore, MD
Accident
End of Watch November 13, 1856
Age 23
The Vigil Panel 2 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Night Watchman John O'Mayer succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained 11 days earlier when he accidentally shot himself in the arm while attempting to quell a riot on election day.

The wound became so infected that a portion of his arm had to be amputated. Despite the amputation, Watchman O'Mayer developed lockjaw and passed away several days later.

Watchman O'Mayer was survived by his wife and child.

Survivors

Watchman O'Mayer was survived by his wife and child.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

170 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Night Watchman O'Mayer served with the Baltimore City Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Baltimore, MD
Platform Identity baltpd.baltimore.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 13, 1856
Age 23
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Cause Detail Gunfire (Inadvertent)

The Sacrifice · Accident

John is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1856, 4 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 145th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 23. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

November holds 8.4% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Baltimore Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Night Watchman John O'Mayer

Baltimore Police Department · End of Watch November 13, 1856

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 61-W

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