Incident
Officer Phillip Pitts succumbed a gunshot wound sustained two days earlier when he interrupted a burglary at the Boston and Maine Railroad depot in the Cliftondale section of the city.
He was shot in the throat and suffered a fatal wound. He was taken to a local hospital where he died two days later.
Officer Pitts was survived by his wife and two children.
Survivors
Officer Pitts was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MA-AB0AF1AB- 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
137 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Officer Pitts served with the Saugus Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Saugus community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Phillip Pitts 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 Saugus Police Dept., 4 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Phillip Pitts's cause is highlighted.
How Phillip Pitts Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Phillip Pitts is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Phillip Pitts was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Saugus Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw.


