Roll of Honor
Incident
Patrolman William Sheehan was shot and killed by a man who had just murdered the owner of a Chinese restaurant as the victim was driving his vehicle. The suspect, who was a passenger in that vehicle, was a former New Hampshire state trooper who was fired for extorting the owners of Chinese restaurants. Patrolman Sheehan and his partner were on patrol when they encountered the vehicle stopped in traffic. They stopped their patrol car in front of the vehicle and began walking back towards it, not knowing a murder had just occurred. The suspect met the officers between the vehicle and the patrol car and immediately opened fire with a .357 caliber revolver, striking Patrolman Sheehan in the eye. He then attempted to shoot Patrolman Sheehan's partner, but missed. He fired a second shot, striking the partner in the abdomen. The suspect ran out of ammunition as he attempted to shoot the officer again. The officer was able to grab Patrolman Sheehan's service weapon and shot the suspect in the legs several times as he fled. The suspect was found guilty of two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, and was sentenced to life in prison. The suspect escaped from a work release program in 1987, but was caught in Chicago and returned to prison. Patrolman Sheehan had served with the Westwood Police Department for 30 years.
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- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
30 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Sheehan gave the Westwood Police Department 30 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Westwood community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Sheehan.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman William E. Sheehan is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 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 11.8 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William E. Sheehan's cause is highlighted.
How William E. Sheehan Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. William E. Sheehan is highlighted in Feb.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. William E. Sheehan was killed by handgun; .357 caliber.