Lieutenant Owen E. Sweeney Jr. was 47 when he was killed while attempting to serve a mental health petition in Northeast Baltimore in the spring of 1997. A veteran officer with just under 29 years on the force, Sweeney was standing outside a second-floor apartment door trying to communicate with 41-year-old Baron Michael Cherry when a shotgun blast from behind the wooden door struck him in the lower back. He was taken to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, underwent hours of surgery, and died of his wounds.

Cherry surrendered at the scene unarmed and was arrested and charged with first-degree murder and a weapons offense. Reports say he had a history of mental health issues and that his wife had called police seeking help. Cherry was later ruled mentally unfit to stand trial and was committed to a maximum-security state hospital; he was not held criminally responsible for Sweeney’s death.

Sweeney’s death was described as a profound loss to the department and the community he served for nearly three decades. If anyone knew Lieutenant Sweeney or has information about the events that day, please share what can help preserve the record of his service.