Chief of Police

Jeremiah Joseph Murphy

Butte Police Department — Butte, MT
Felonious
End of Watch September 20, 1935
Age 63
Tour of Duty 42 yrs
The Vigil Panel 154 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Chief Murphy was killed in a struggle with a man he was attempting to arrest. Chief Murphy was attempting to subdue a man with a gun at the Montana Power Company when he struck his head on the marble floor. Chief Murphy died as a result of his injuries. The suspect was only convicted of carrying a concealed weapon and sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Survivors

Chief Murphy had served with the Butte Police Department for 42 years and was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

42 years. You could have gone home.
Chief of Police Murphy gave the Butte Police Department 42 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Butte community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Murphy.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Butte, Silver Bow County, MT
Platform Identity bpd.silverbow.mt.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 20, 1935
Tour of Duty 42 yrs
Age 63
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Person

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Jeremiah is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1935, 154 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 25th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Jeremiah was 63. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Jeremiah had served 42 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was person, in 2% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Butte Police Department has 14 officers remembered here, Jeremiah among them.

Chief of Police Jeremiah Joseph Murphy

Butte Police Department · End of Watch September 20, 1935

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 42-W

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