Roll of Honor

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Patrolman

John Lynch

Boston Police Department — Roxbury Crossing, MA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 19, 1944

Age 57

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

The Vigil Panel 81 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 105

Incident

Patrolman John Lynch succumbed to injuries sustained seven years earlier while on his beat on Washington Street. Patrolman Lynch was assaulted by a man he was attempting to arrest for being drunk in public.

During the assault, Patrolman Lynch suffered severe head injuries. Shortly after the assault, he began to experience memory loss and his health continued to deteriorate until he passed away on September 19th, 1944.

Patrolman Lynch was a U.S. Navy veteran of WWI. He joined the Boston Police Department in 1920 and served until he was medically retired in 1942.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-E4F8548C
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. John 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.
Patrolman Lynch gave the Boston Police Department 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the Roxbury Crossing 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 Boston Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Roxbury Crossing, Suffolk County, MA

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

Service Record

End of Watch September 19, 1944

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Age 57

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Person

Military Service

John Lynch served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman John Lynch 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 97,772 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 Boston Police Department, 45 of 106 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.5% of this agency's fallen.

Boston Police Department

of 106 officers

42.5% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious