Roll of Honor

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Detective

Sherman C. Griffiths

Boston Police Department — Roxbury Crossing, MA

Felonious Veteran →

End of Watch February 18, 1988

Age 36

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Badge 567

The Vigil Panel 133 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 105

Incident

Detective Sherman Griffiths was shot and killed while serving a narcotics warrant at an apartment, at 104 Bellevue Street, with other officers in the Drug Control Unit. As Detective Griffiths attempted to hammer down the door with a sledgehammer, shots were fired from inside and he was struck once in the head. The suspect and weapon were found inside of an adjoining apartment. Detective Griffiths succumbed to his wounds the next morning. The suspect, an illegal immigrant, was acquitted of murder charges in 1990 after his trial was moved to a different part of the state in a change-of-venue. After the trial, the INS deported him back to his native Jamaica. Detective Griffiths was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Boston Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife and two daughters. Following his murder, five of his brothers joined the Boston Police Department as police officers.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MA-BC1138F6
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 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.
Detective Griffiths gave the Boston Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Roxbury Crossing community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Boston Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Roxbury Crossing, Suffolk County, MA

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

Service Record

End of Watch February 18, 1988

Tour of Duty 8 yrs

Age 36

Badge Number 567

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Sherman C. Griffiths served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective Sherman C. Griffiths 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%.

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

17,559

of 32,587 officers

53.9% Felonious