On a Sunday in Milton, Massachusetts, 29-year-old White/Caucasian male, Robert P. Dana, a Metropolitan Police Officer, was shot and killed. The date was March 25, 1984. Officer Dana had initiated a traffic stop on the Blue Hills Parkway after observing a stolen television in the back of a vehicle. A Milton police officer arrived to provide assistance and was questioning the driver while Officer Dana went back to his patrol car to contact dispatch.
During the questioning, the suspect
became agitated and managed to disarm the Milton officer, taking control of his handgun. The suspect then fired at Officer Dana, fatally wounding him. Following the shooting, the suspect fled the scene. He was later tracked to a residence in Boston. As a SWAT team made entry into the home to apprehend him, the suspect took his own life.
Officer Dana had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for eight years. Before his career with the department, he had served as a U.S. Air Force Security Policeman and a federal police officer. He was survived by his wife of six months, who was a member of the Milton Police Department and responded to the scene in a police ambulance, as well as his parents. In honor of his service and sacrifice, the Robert Dana Award is presented annually to distinguished Massachusetts Police Officers.
