Roll of Honor

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Detective

Joseph Elmer McCain

Metropolitan Police Department — Boston, MA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch October 22, 2001

Age 72

Tour of Duty 30 yrs

The Vigil Panel 149 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 11

Incident

Detective Joseph McCain succumbed to gunshot wounds inflicted 13 years earlier.

He was shot during a drug raid on Wood Avenue in Hyde Park. The wound caused him to undergo several surgeries and his health deteriorated until he passed away. He was never able to return to work following the shooting.

Detective McCain was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for 30 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and child.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-E0D207CD
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Joseph. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Joseph 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.
Detective McCain gave the Metropolitan Police Department 30 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 22, 2001

Tour of Duty 30 yrs

Age 72

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Military Service

Joseph Elmer McCain served in the U.S. Navy (1946â1949) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective Joseph Elmer McCain 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 97,759 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 97,759 officers

0% Felonious