Roll of Honor

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Officer

Harold Francis MacGilvray, Jr.

Metropolitan Police Department — Boston, MA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch October 11, 2018

Age 82

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

The Vigil Panel 169 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 11

Incident

Officer Harold MacGilvary succumbed to complications of injuries sustained on November 13th, 1978, when he was struck by a vehicle while making a traffic stop.

He and his partner had stopped a vehicle for speeding on the Southeast Expressway near Neponset Circle in Dorchester. Officer MacGilvary was standing at the driver's window when he was struck by a car that drifted onto the shoulder. Officer MacGilvary was thrown 100 feet and suffered life-threatening injuries. He was transported to a local hospital where he underwent 13 hours of surgery before his condition stabilized.

The driver who struck him fled the scene but was arrested several days later and charged with driving while intoxicated, operating to endanger, driving on a suspended license, and leaving the scene of an accident.

Officer MacGilvary was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran who had served with the Metropolitan Department for 20 years and had previously served with the Medford Police Department for four years. He is survived by his wife, daughter, three sons, and ten grandchildren. Two of his sons also served with the Metropolitan Police Department.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, daughter, three sons, and ten grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-5E0D139C
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw. One record, 2 gates. Harold is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer MacGilvray gave the Metropolitan Police Department 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the Boston community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Metropolitan Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Boston, MA

Platform Identity mpd.suffolk.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 11, 2018

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

Age 82

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Vehicular assault

Weapon Automobile; Alcohol involved

Military Service

Harold Francis MacGilvray, Jr. served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Harold Francis MacGilvray, Jr. is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.

In MA, 199 of 469 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.4% of this state's fallen. That is 42.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Metropolitan Police Department, 4 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Metropolitan Police Department

of 12 officers

33.3% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,756 officers

0% Felonious