Barry has been a police officer for twenty-three years, working first for the city of La Mesa, California, and for the last seventeen years in Gresham, Oregon. In early 1994, he joined the SWAT tactical unit of Gresham Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) and served as the team's primary sniper from 1996 to 1999.

Barry left the tactical unit in 1999, and joined the Crisis Negotiation Team in 2001, where he currently serves as the lead hostage negotiator.

In the past, Barry has served as a field training officer, a School Resource Officer, and a Public Information Officer. His is currently attached to the Traffic Unit, where he serves as a motorcycle officer and an investigator on the Vehicular Crimes Team, a fatal crash reconstruction unit.

In 2005, Barry received the Gresham Police Department's highest award, the Medal of Valor, as well as the Oregon Peace Officers Association Lifesaving Award, for disarming and arresting a homicide suspect who had just murdered a relative and was in the process of slashing his own throat with the same butcher knife used in the murder.

Barry was born and raised in Warren, OH. He is married with six children and three grandchildren. He, his wife, and their two youngest sons make their home in Portland.