Police Officer

Michael J. Burns

Baltimore Police Department — Baltimore, MD
Accident
End of Watch January 22, 1917
Age 28
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 3 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Michael Burns was electrocuted while attempting to relight an electric street light in front of 4012 Park Heights Avenue.

A citizen flagged down Officer Burns, who was on bicycle patrol, and complained that the light was flashing. Officer Burns stood on his bike and attempted to relight the light by pulling on the chain, but the lamp exploded and threw him into the street. The lamp then fell into the street and Officer Burns became tangled in the live wires and was electrocuted.

Officer Burns had served with the Baltimore City Police Department for one year and was assigned to the Bicycle Squad in the Northeastern District.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and four young children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Police Officer Burns gave the Baltimore City Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Burns.

— 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 January 22, 1917
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 3 mo
Age 28
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

Michael is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 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 1917, 41 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 107th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Michael was 28. 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. Michael had served 1.2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

January holds 7.7% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.4%.

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, Michael among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Michael J. Burns

Baltimore Police Department · End of Watch January 22, 1917

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 29-W

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