Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Leo G. Hamel

Springfield Police Department — Springfield, MA

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch October 31, 1955

Age 26

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 8 mo

Badge 300

The Vigil Panel 91 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 18

Incident

Police Officer Leo Hamel was killed when he was crushed after he jumped onto the running board of a stolen tractor-trailer truck that was operating recklessly on Union Street. Officer Hamel was directing children across Union Street and Main Street when he jumped on the runaway truck. While attempting to get the driver to stop near Columbus Avenue, he careened off the side of a parked dump truck, killing him. Officer Hamel shot the driver five times before he was killed. The driver continued on Union Street at an estimated speed of 80 mph. He crashed into 14 cars before crashing into the Connecticut River at the end of the street. Police pulled the driver from the river after the truck sank. The 35-year-old suspect was transported to a hospital in critical condition but recovered from the gunshots and other injuries. He was a former mental patient who had recently been released from a mental hospital after being treated for schizophrenia. He was adjudged insane and sent to the Bridgewater Mental Hospital for life. In less than a year, he was released. Officer Hamel was a United States Navy Reserve veteran of World War II and had served with the Springfield Police Department for over three years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, two daughters, parents, two brothers, three sisters, and numerous nieces and nephews.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-6B29275B
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. Leo 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.
Police Officer Hamel gave the Springfield Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Springfield 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 Springfield Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Springfield, Hampden County, MA

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

Service Record

End of Watch October 31, 1955

Tour of Duty 3 yrs 8 mo

Age 26

Badge Number 300

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Automobile

Military Service

Leo G. Hamel served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Leo G. Hamel 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 Springfield Police Department, 7 of 19 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 36.8% of this agency's fallen.

Springfield Police Department

of 19 officers

36.8% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious