Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman Peter Nikitas was struck and killed by a westbound Boston and Maine Railroad freight train while investigating the theft of police equipment. The equipment had been stolen from another officer the previous night. Patrolman Nikitas was searching for the equipment along the train tracks in the downtown area when he was struck. Patrolman Nikitas had served with the Fitchburg Police Department for one year.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MA-CE716ECA- 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. Army. One record, 2 gates. Peter is one person.
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Tributes
You barely got started.
Patrolman Nikitas gave the Fitchburg Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Fitchburg community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Nikitas.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Peter M. Nikitas served in the U.S. Army (1968â1971) before joining law enforcement.
Patrolman Peter M. Nikitas is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In MA, 158 of 469 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.7% of this state's fallen. That is 33.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Fitchburg Police Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Peter M. Nikitas's cause is highlighted.
How Peter M. Nikitas Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Peter M. Nikitas is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Military Service
Peter M. Nikitas served in the U.S. Army (1968–1971) before joining law enforcement.
Visit Peter M. Nikitas’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Fitchburg Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
