Louis T. Gormley

Fall River Police Department — Fall River, MA

Accident

End of Watch August 23, 1898

Age 30

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 15 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 8

Incident

Police Officer Louis Gormley was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow officer while involved in a foot pursuit of a fugitive.

The subject, who was wanted for escaping a warrant service a week prior, was spotted hiding on Melville Street. Officer Gormley and two other officers went to the area to apprehend him. The subject fled into a field, and during the pursuit, he fell. When the officers tried to arrest him, the second officer's firearm discharged and struck Officer Gormley. The two officers carried Officer Gormley to the street, where he died.

Officer Gormley had served with the Fall River Police Department for six years.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents, two brothers, and two sisters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-0C984B2C
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

128 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Police Officer Gormley gave the Fall River Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fall River community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Fall River Police Department

Location Fall River, MA

Platform Identity frpd.bristol.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 23, 1898

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Police Officer Louis T. Gormley 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 Fall River Police Department, 3 of 9 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Fall River Police Department

of 9 officers

33.3% Accident

MA — Statewide

158

of 469 officers

33.7% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident