Samuel Reynolds
Agency patch
Patrolman

Samuel Reynolds

Boston Police Department — Roxbury Crossing, MA
Accident
End of Watch October 22, 1971
Age 33
Tour of Duty 8 mo
The Vigil Panel 109 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Samuel Reynolds succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained the previous day at 89 Bickford Avenue, near the Bromley-Heath Housing Project, while attempting to stop a vehicle related to a burglary.

As he and his partner were attempting to halt the vehicle his partner tripped and his service revolver fired accidentally. The round struck Patrolman Reynolds in his neck. He was taken to the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital where he succumbed to the wound the following day.

Patrolman Reynolds had served with the Boston Police Department for eight months and was assigned to the Housing Unit.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MA-3BE87DA7
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
April 2, 2026
Last updated
July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Reynolds served with the Boston Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Roxbury Crossing community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Reynolds.

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

Agency

Location Roxbury Crossing, MA
Platform Identity bpd.suffolk.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 22, 1971
Tour of Duty 8 mo
Age 33
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Cause Detail Gunfire (Inadvertent)

Patrolman Samuel Reynolds is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 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 2.7 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Boston Police Department, 31 of 106 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.2% of this agency's fallen.

Boston Police Department
31
of 106 officers
29.2% Accident
MA — Statewide
158
of 469 officers
33.7% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Samuel Reynolds's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Samuel Reynolds Compares

Age at End of Watch
33
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
0.7
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Samuel Reynolds is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location