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Chief of Police

James Erville Vaughan

Carver Police Department — Carver, MA

Felonious

End of Watch September 23, 1908

Age 62

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 23 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Chief of Police James Vaughan succumbed to stab wounds sustained three days earlier while serving an arrest warrant on a man. The suspect produced a knife and stabbed Chief Vaughan and an officer who was accompanying him.

The other officer shot and killed the suspect.

Chief Vaughan had served with the Carver Police Department for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-8C0D4B53
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Chief of Police Vaughan gave the Carver Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Carver community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Vaughan.

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

Agency

Department Carver Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Carver, Plymouth County, MA

Platform Identity cpd.plymouth.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 23, 1908

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 62

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Stabbed

Weapon Edged weapon

Chief of Police James Erville Vaughan is one of 17,559 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 53.9% of all 32,587 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 11.5 percentage points below the national rate of 53.9%.

Carver Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,559

of 32,587 officers

53.9% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Erville Vaughan's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,559 (53.9%)

Accident

10,095 (31%)

Illness

3,037 (9.3%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

334 (1%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

How James Erville Vaughan Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Erville Vaughan is highlighted in Sep.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,516

May

1,504

Jun

1,442

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,517

Sep

1,491

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Erville Vaughan was killed by edged weapon.

Handgun

3,684

Gun

3,592

Gun; Unknown type

1,492

Shotgun

1,109

Rifle

935

Officer's handgun

909