By Charles Boddy
You may not yet know Gene Scanlon’s story, but you should. It is a story of love and sacrifice, silent suffering, and the healing nature of our community. It is a story a lifetime in the making: 43 years after the death of the 42 year-old police officer, his name is finally added to the role of Lawrence police officers killed in the line of duty.
On Saturday, July 4, citizens, friends, police officers, Mayor Daniel Rivera, Lawrence Police Chief James X. Fitzpatrick, Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon, City Councilors Roger Twomey and Eileen O’Connor Bernal, and the Scanlon family gathered with Police Honor Guards from Lawrence, Methuen, Andover, North Andover and Salem, NH at the intersection of Davis and Amherst Streets in Lawrence to unveil a commemorative plaque perpetually memorializing Patrolman Eugene F. Scanlon, Sr., slain in the line of duty on February 12, 1972. Today, the plaque stands across the street from his family’s home, where his widow raised their four children to adulthood, keeping him a part of the neighborhood he so loved.
Eugene F. Scanlon, Sr.’s short life was one of commitment to service to others in every aspect. Through his devotion to his fellow man, he enlisted in two highly dangerous military specialties: an Army Paratrooper and, later, during the Korean War as a deep sea diver. This same community spirit inspired him to work with adopted children, and to serve as a mentor and coach in the Lawrence Little League program. His selfless nature lead him, in times of peace, to serve his community as Lawrence Police Patrolman, first becoming a reserve Lawrence police officer on March 14, 1965 and later a regular patrolman on November 30, 1969.
Officer Scanlon’s dedication and extraordinary service was recognized by then-Lawrence Alderman Philip C. DiAdamo who cited his brave, life-saving action on April 23, 1971 when he crawled through heavy smoke and flames to rescue a woman trapped in an upper apartment fire at 213 Jackson Street. He willingly risked his own life to save her.
On January 28, 1972, Gene Scanlon was scheduled for a night at home with his wife and three children. Meanwhile, Patrolman Paul Sutton, was simultaneously scheduled to work a detail at a Central Catholic High School Dance and a regular patrol shift. Sutton asked his close friend, Scanlon, to cover the detail that day. Patrolman Scanlon initially declined, however his selfless spirit later convinced him to accept the additional duty. In this manner, Patrolman Scanlon found himself providing a police presence at the Central High School dance. The all-boy school, attended by students from the greater Merrimack Valley invited local girls to the dance. This fact angered local boys.
At approximately 11:30 p.m. that evening, a disturbance arose that required Officer Scanlon to arrest those responsible. While trying to complete the necessary arrests, Office Scanlon was attacked by a group of young men, and was severely injured with abrasions to his hands and knees, a kick to the groin, and multiple blows to the head. Officer Scanlon was immediately transported to the emergency room, treated for the injuries sustained in the attack and later released from the hospital to recover at home. However, the gravity of his injuries persisted and he was re-admitted to the hospital on February 10, 1972 and expired on February 12, 1972. Officer Scanlon’s treating physician concluded that his death resulted from the attack on January 28th.
At the time of his death, Officer Scanlon was survived by his wife, Jane, daughters Susan-Jane and Kathleen Anne, his son William and his unborn son, Eugene, Jr. The lasting effects of an untimely and violent death have been a constant and difficult reminder to Officer Scanlon’s widow who never remarried. Her children grew up without a father.
The intervening 43 years has been one of endurance of the family’s loss. Each news report of another officer death, brought further anguish for their loss, and the fact that his sacrifice remained, for the most part, unrecognized. His two sons, one a former Lawrence police officer, and his namesake, Gene, Jr., who still wears his father’s badge number as a member of the force, even donated to the creation of the Lawrence Police Memorial at the Bellevue Cemetery. Not once did they ask for recognition of their father. Nonetheless, the family was always bothered that Patrolman Scanlon would be forgotten. The naming of the intersection in South Lawrence, the resolutions from the Mayor and City Council, and the hope that his name will soon appear on the Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington have begun to heal the wounds of 43 years ago. These tokens also united a community in thanks. May he now rest in peace!
