Lewis Roberts

Scranton Police Department — Scranton, PA

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch April 2, 1933

Age 41

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

The Vigil Panel 66 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 10

Incident

Lieutenant Lewis Roberts succumbed to a gunshot wound the previous day when he interrupted a robbery at a local grocery store at Prescott Avenue and Olive Street. When one of the suspects ordered him to hand over his money he grabbed the suspect's wrist and began to disarm him, but a second suspect him struck him over the head with a revolver. The first suspect then shot him several times before they both fled. Despite being mortally wounded, Lieutenant Roberts was able to give a description of the suspects to responding officers. Both men were eventually apprehended, convicted of his murder, and subsequently executed in the electric chair on March 5, 1934. Two other suspects were charged in connection with his murder. Lieutenant Roberts was a veteran of the Pennsylvania National Guard and had served with the Scranton Police Department for 22 years.

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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.
Detective Lieutenant Roberts gave the Scranton Police Department 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the Scranton 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 Scranton Police Department

Location Scranton, PA

Platform Identity spd.lackawanna.pa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 2, 1933

Tour of Duty 22 yrs

Age 41

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun; .38 caliber

Offender Executed in 1934

Military Service

Lewis Roberts served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Detective Lieutenant Lewis Roberts 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 PA, 597 of 1,261 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.3% of this state's fallen. That is 6.9 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Scranton Police Department, 6 of 11 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 54.5% of this agency's fallen.

Scranton Police Department

of 11 officers

54.5% Felonious

PA — Statewide

597

of 1,261 officers

47.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious