Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Linus A. Shaw

Watertown Police Department — Watertown, MA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch February 7, 1910

Age 78

Tour of Duty 32 yrs

The Vigil Panel 24 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Sergeant Linus Shaw succumbed to stab wounds sustained on October 4th, 1892, while attempting to arrest a man in the Bemis area of Watertown.

The man he arrested pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed him several times in the leg, groin, and chest. Despite his wounds, he was able to complete the arrest and walk the subject to the police station.

One of the stab wounds injured a rib. He developed complications from the injury to the rib and died as a result on February 7th, 1910.

Sergeant Shaw was a Union Army veteran of the Civil War and had served with the Watertown Police Department for 32 years.

Survivors

He was a widower who was survived by his son and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-A7789CB1
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

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Shaw gave the Watertown Police Department 32 years.
Thank you for your service to the Watertown community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Watertown Police Department

Location Watertown, MA

Platform Identity watepd.middlesex.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 7, 1910

Tour of Duty 32 yrs

Age 78

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Edged weapon; Knife

Offender Arrested

Military Service

Linus A. Shaw served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Sergeant Linus A. Shaw 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 Watertown Police Department, 1 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Watertown Police Department

of 4 officers

25% Felonious

MA — Statewide

199

of 469 officers

42.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious