John David Schroeder

Boston Police Department — Roxbury Crossing, MA

Felonious

End of Watch November 30, 1973

Age 54

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Badge 1479

The Vigil Panel 113 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 105

Incident

Detective John Schroeder was shot and killed when he surprised three men who were robbing a pawn shop at 1904 Washington Street. Detective Schroeder was at the business to conduct a background investigation of a police recruit. The suspect was convicted of first-degree murder but released on a technicality after serving only 12 years. After being released, he committed an armed robbery and was returned to jail. He was again released, and in August 2018, he was once more arrested on illegal firearms sale charges. Detective Schroeder had been with the Boston Police Department for 22 years. He was survived by his parents and four siblings. One of his other brothers, Patrolman Walter Schroeder, was shot and killed in the line of duty on Sept. 24, 1970, while working for the Boston Police Department.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents and four siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-4D6A40CA
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

22 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Schroeder gave the Boston Police Department 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Roxbury Crossing community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Schroeder.

— 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 November 30, 1973

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Age 54

Badge Number 1479

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Released after 12 years

Detective John David Schroeder 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