John T. Lynch

Boston Police Department — Roxbury Crossing, MA

Felonious

End of Watch January 16, 1908

Age 27

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 8 mo

The Vigil Panel 22 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Patrolman Lynch was shot and killed as he and another officer were looking for three men who had just robbed a store at 364 Washington Street, running off with several sweaters. After Patrolman Lynch and the other officer split up he found one of the suspects and was shot by him as he grabbed him. The other officer who heard the shot ran back to find Patrolman Lynch holding on to the suspect near the intersection of Summer Street and Chauncey Street. Patrolman Lynch died minutes later. The suspect was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life June 9, 1908. He was paroled December 24, 1942. Patrolman Lynch served with the Boston Police Department for more than one and a half years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-441C032C
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

You barely got started.
Patrolman Lynch gave the Boston Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Roxbury Crossing community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Lynch.

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

Agency

Department Boston Police Department

Location Roxbury Crossing, MA

Platform Identity bpd.suffolk.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 16, 1908

Tour of Duty 1 yrs 8 mo

Age 27

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Paroled in 1942

Patrolman John T. Lynch 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%.

At Boston Police Department, 45 of 106 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.5% of this agency's fallen.

Boston Police Department

of 106 officers

42.5% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious