Phillip Pitts

Saugus Police Department — Saugus, MA

Felonious

End of Watch January 26, 1889

Age 41

The Vigil Panel 9 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Officer Phillip Pitts succumbed a gunshot wound sustained two days earlier when he interrupted a burglary at the Boston and Maine Railroad depot in the Cliftondale section of the city.

He was shot in the throat and suffered a fatal wound. He was taken to a local hospital where he died two days later.

Officer Pitts was survived by his wife and two children.

Survivors

Officer Pitts was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-AB0AF1AB
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

137 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Officer Pitts served with the Saugus Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Saugus community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Saugus Police Department

Type Other

Location Saugus, Essex County, MA

Platform Identity saugpd.essex.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 26, 1889

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Handgun

Officer Phillip Pitts 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 Saugus Police Department, 4 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Saugus Police Department

of 4 officers

100% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious