Memorial to Michael J. Cody

End of Watch: July 14, 1969
Rank: Officer   Badge No. 2470
Age: 239  Years of Service: 1 year
Location of Death:  8th and K streets, NE
Duty Assignment:  Second Precinct

Circumstance:

On July 14, 1969 at 1:55 am, Officer Cody and his partner Officer David Hawfield were operating a patrol wagon west bound on K Street at 8th Street. A vehicle failed to stop for the flashing red light and collided with the Patrol Wagon. The force of the accident was so severe that it threw the two officers through the windshield. Both officers died from their injuries. As Officer Cody was dying on the ground, a citizen stole his weapon from its holster.

Biography:

Officer Cody had been a police officer for one year. He was born in New York City and lived at 7356 Landover Rd., Landover, with his wife, Judy. She was expecting their first child.

Articles from the Washington Post – transcribed by Dave Richardson, MPD/Ret.
WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE DATED JULY 15, 1969, PAGE A3

DRIVER FACES CHARGES IN POLICE DEATHS.
The U.S. Attorney’s office yesterday notified a Washington man that it intends to charge him with negligent homicide in connection with an automobile accident that killed two Metropolitan policemen early yesterday.

The man, Meredith Earl Reynolds, 27 of 787 Barnaby Rd. SE was sent a letter telling him of the government’s action and directing him to report to the Court of General Sessions on Friday. Police also charged him with running a flashing red light and failure to yield to a patrol wagon with which he was in collision at 8th and K Streets NE at about 1:55 a.m.

The crash killed Officers Michael J. Cody, 29, and David C. Hawfield, 21, of the Second Precinct. Each had been on the force about a year.

Investigating officers gave this account:
With Cody behind the wheel of the 1964 Econoline patrol wagon, the two officers drove west on K Street, NE while returning to their precinct after taking a woman prisoner to D.C. General Hospital. They were not enroute to an emergency, police said.

At 8th Street, NE, a 1962 Mercury drove into the intersection, crashed into the right front of the wagon and threw both officers through the windshield. The wagon careened into a fire box; the Mercury bounced into a traffic light pole.

A passerby used the wagon’s police radio microphone and called for help while another unidentified passerby took Cody’s service revolver from his body.

By 2:25 a.m. doctors at the Washington Hospital Center had pronounced both men dead. Reynolds escaped injury.

A police department spokesman said police have standing instructions to use their seat belts, but because of the extensive damage to the wagon it could not be determined whether Cody and Hawfield had fastened theirs.

Heroes, Inc., a civic group that contributes to policemen’s survivors, drew up $1,000 checks for the families. Funeral arrangements were incomplete.