On Friday March 6, 1964, Boston Police Patrolman Edward Lynch, of East Boston, was killed in the line of duty after chasing a stolen vehicle from Dorchester to Quincy early that fateful morning but his name was never added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington D.C., until now.
“I have been working with the Lynch family in East Boston for a few years,” said Boston Police Officer and Department Historian Robert Anthony. “With the assistance of the information they sent me a few years ago we found that Patrolman Edward Lynch, of East Boston, was overlooked for “Killed in the Line of Duty” status and was never added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial.”
Officer Anthony, also an Eastie resident, said after careful research looking through Boston Police records and records from the Quincy Police Department of the incident the facts were clear.
Lynch died five days after sustaining critical injuries when his personal vehicle crashed head-on into a bridge abutment at a high rate of speed on the Atlantic Railroad Bridge at 165 Hancock Street in Quincy.
Lynch, who had joined the police department in 1958, had been assigned to a foot post on Dorchester Avenue in Fields Corner.
On March 1, he observed a stolen vehicle at approximately 4:00 a.m. during the last half hour of his shift. He pursued the vehicle into Quincy where he crashed while attempting to force the vehicle he was chasing off the road. The crash was witnessed by multiple people according to police records.
The driver of the stolen vehicle was never captured.
Lynch was taken to Quincy City Hospital where he was suffering from a fractured skull, broken neck, and internal injuries. He died following emergency surgery.
Lynch was a U.S Army veteran of the Korean War. He had served with the Boston Police Department for five years and was assigned to District 11, Dorchester. He was survived by his wife, and two children.
“The information was gathered and sent to former Boston Police Commissioner William Gross who agreed with the findings,” said Anthony. “The information was then sent down to Washington D.C.’s National Law Enforcement Museum and after they reviewed the information they certified Officer Lynch as “Killed in the Line of Duty”.
Anthony said Lynch’s name will finally be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall in June.
“His name will also be added to the Hero Wall at Boston Police Headquarters as well as the Massachusetts State House Memorial,” said Anthony.
Officer Lynch’s name is one of 11 eleven officers that have been overlooked and will be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Wall this year. Some of these officers date back to the 1800’s.