Roll of Honor

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Patrolman

Lawrence W. Gorman

Cambridge Police Department — Cambridge, MA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch September 3, 1960

Age 36

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Badge 128

The Vigil Panel 95 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 11

Incident

Patrolman Lawrence Gorman was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two burglary suspects in Kendall Square in Cambridge. He observed the two men breaking into the Symmes Restaurant at 254 Maine Street and tried to arrest them when they opened fire, mortally wounding him. He was able to return fire and wound one of the suspects in the leg, who was taken into custody. On May 14th, 1961, the captured suspect, aided by his accomplice, escaped from the Middlesex County Jail along with another inmate. With a smuggled handgun he shot and killed Jail Master David S. Robinson. Three days later he shot and killed himself when police stormed a Boston apartment where he was hiding. His accomplice and the other escapee were captured a short time later. On September 24th, 1961, his accomplice was convicted of Patrolman Gorman's murder and sentenced to death. The sentence was later commuted to life. Patrolman Gorman was a United States Navy World War II veteran and served with the Cambridge Police Department for eight years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-15028D6F
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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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 Gorman gave the Cambridge Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cambridge community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Cambridge Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Cambridge, Middlesex County, MA

Platform Identity cambpd.middlesex.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 3, 1960

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 36

Badge Number 128

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Lawrence W. Gorman served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Patrolman Lawrence W. Gorman 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 Cambridge Police Department, 3 of 12 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Cambridge Police Department

of 12 officers

25% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious