Boonton Police Department, New Jersey
End of Watch: Monday, September 9, 1918
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: September 9, 1918
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: One shot and killed; One charged with mu
Acting Chief Patrick Guiton was shot and killed by men attempting to rob a freight train.
Acting Chief Guiton was covering the position while the chief of police was on vacation. During his stead, he received word that four men were breaking into boxcars near the Booton Rubber Works. He immediately left for the robbery site and enlisted four civilians to assist with the arrest. When they arrived at the Boonton Rubber Works the four men were caught in the act and were arrested by Acting Chief Guiton, who neglected to search the men for weapons.
As Acting Chief Guiton was transporting the four thieves to the town jail he told the four assistants that he no longer needed their help and dropped them off en route. As soon as the four civilian assistants were gone, the thieves attacked Acting Chief Guiton, shooting him. He was able to return fire and mortally wounded one of his assailants. The other three fled to the woods nearby. Town store clerks who saw the incident pursued the suspects into the woods and then organized a posse of approximately 50 men to search the woods. Two were apprehended in the nearby woods, the third was apprehended running from a train in a neaby county. A 16-year-old was charged with his murder. It is not known if the other two were charged.