Cambridge Police Officer Is Recognized More Than 100 Years After His Death

The name of a fallen Cambridge Police Patrolman will be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C., as part of this year’s National Police Week, which takes place May 10-16, 2020. The Department was able to successfully petition and have Patrolman Thomas Dynan’s name added as a historical line-of-duty death. He died while on-duty on December 31, 1911, after he served with the Cambridge Police Department for 30 years. Dynan had just finished handling a call for service and was crossing the intersection of Main Street and First Street in Kendall Square, when he was struck by a streetcar. The streetcar’s fender struck him, knocked him down, and he sustained a fractured skull after hitting his head on the pavement.

While conducting research on Officers that may have been killed on-duty, active Cambridge Police Officer Stephen Lyons was able to locate news reports from the Cambridge Chronicle that confirmed Dynan was working at the time of his death. He then followed up on an email that was sent to the Department from a distant family member. This information fulfilled a key requirement for the approval and inclusion at the National Law Enforcement Memorial. 

“When we realized that Patrolman Dynan had never been recognized for his line of duty death, we made a commitment to ensure that he was appropriately and respectfully honored,” said Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr. “It’s never too late to honor someone who provided service to our community and died in the line of duty.”

Dynan’s name will be unveiled May 13 at the National Law Enforcement Memorial. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the unveiling will be done via a virtual candlelight vigil at 8 p.m. The vigil will be livestreamed at https://nleomf.org/.

The National Memorial dedication is scheduled as part of National Police Week (May 10-16, 2020). In 1962, President John F. Kennedy declared May 15 to be known as National Peace Officer Memorial Day. Out of that declaration evolved National Police Week, which is designed to pay special recognition to law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others. Dynan is one of several law enforcement officers from the Cambridge Police Department to have their name placed on the memorial.