John W. Arnold
Police Officer

John W. Arnold

Baltimore Police Department — Baltimore, MD
Felonious
End of Watch December 30, 1948
Age 53
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
The Vigil Panel 85 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer John Arnold succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained on December 12th, 1948, as he approached a suspect choking a woman in an ally called Little Pine Street near Argyle Avenue and Biddle Street (modern-day Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard). On March 22, 1949, the suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. On December 14, 1950, he killed himself by cutting his throat at the Maryland Penitentiary. Officer Arnold had served with the Baltimore City Police Department for 27 years.

Survivors

He was survived by three children and 10 grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
neuraspine_01krbxtqgp1jdmw6qeq51t92cb
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew John. Claim this record.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

27 years. You could have gone home.
Police Officer Arnold gave the Baltimore City Police Department 27 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Baltimore community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Arnold.

— 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 December 30, 1948
Tour of Duty 27 yrs
Age 53
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% 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 1948, 80 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 84th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 53. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. John had served 27 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Thursdays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

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

Police Officer John W. Arnold

Baltimore Police Department · End of Watch December 30, 1948

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 62-E

↑