Police Officer John Joseph Winn

Police Officer John Joseph Winn

Lowell Police Department, Massachusetts

End of Watch Monday, May 3, 1971

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John Joseph Winn

Officer John J. Winn died as a result of injuries received in an assault seventeen months earlier.

Office Winn was checking the doors of a church and two men attacked him when he entered the dark back stairwell to check the door. They attacked him with a tire iron, leaving him for dead, to take his pistol so they could hold up a liquor store and get money to buy drugs.

However, Officer Winn wasn’t dead. He crawled and walked to a local pay phone where he called for an ambulance. His optic nerve was damaged and he went blind right away. Officer Winn lived for another seventeen months, dying as a result of the severe injuries that he sustained in that horrendous beating.

Both suspects where apprehended and convicted of assaulting Officer Winn. One was sentenced to 15 to 25 years in prison and the other to 10 to 15 years.

Bio

  • Age 58
  • Tour 30 years
  • Badge Not available

Incident Details

  • Cause Assault
  • Incident Date Friday, December 5, 1969
  • Weapon Blunt object
  • Offender Not available

ambush, assault

Most Recent Reflection

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Officer Winn, it has been 52 years since you were taken from us. New England law enforcement has continued to thrive, learn and become safer due to the traditions and sacrifices that you and too many others have made for us. Thank you for your service.

Chief (Ret) Steven Marshall
Georges Mills, NH

May 3, 2023

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