Daniel J. Donovan

Springfield Police Department — Springfield, MA

Accident

End of Watch September 29, 1908

Age 35

Tour of Duty 8 mo

The Vigil Panel 23 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 18

Incident

Reserve Officer Donovan was accidentally shot and killed by another officer while waiting for his assignment at headquarters. The other officer was retrieving his weapon after having it inspected. As he was putting it in its holster the weapon discharged and the round struck Reserve Officer Donovan in the chest. Reserve Officer Donovan was taken to a local hospital where he died 30 minutes later.

Reserve Officer Donovan had served with the Springfield Police Department for 8 months.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-87BFD676
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Reserve Officer Donovan served with the Springfield Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Springfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Reserve Officer Donovan.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Springfield Police Department

Location Springfield, MA

Platform Identity spd.hampden.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 29, 1908

Tour of Duty 8 mo

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Reserve Officer Daniel J. Donovan is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MA, 158 of 469 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.7% of this state's fallen. That is 2.7 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Springfield Police Department, 7 of 19 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 36.8% of this agency's fallen.

Springfield Police Department

of 19 officers

36.8% Accident

MA — Statewide

158

of 469 officers

33.7% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident