Donald A. Brown
Agency patch
Patrolman

Donald A. Brown

Boston Police Department — Roxbury Crossing, MA
Felonious
End of Watch May 24, 1974
Age 64
Tour of Duty 29 yrs
The Vigil Panel 113 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Donald Brown was shot and killed during a robbery while escorting a store manager to the bank in the American Legion Shopping Center at 630 American Legion Highway. A car containing four individuals pulled up alongside Patrolman Brown and the store manager, and one of the men announced a robbery. Patrolman Brown was shot as he attempted to draw his service revolver. The four got away with $3,000. A month later, one suspect, 28, surrendered to Boston Police. Patrolman Brown had served with the Boston Police Department for 29 years and was murdered one month prior to his planned retirement.

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

29 years. You could have gone home.
Patrolman Brown gave the Boston Police Department 29 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Roxbury Crossing community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Brown.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Roxbury Crossing, Suffolk County, MA
Platform Identity bpd.suffolk.ma.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 24, 1974
Tour of Duty 29 yrs
Age 64
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1974, 162 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 22nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Donald was 64. 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. Donald had served 29 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

May holds 8% 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 gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Boston Police Department has 106 officers remembered here, Donald among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Patrolman Donald A. Brown

Boston Police Department · End of Watch May 24, 1974

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 10-E

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