Fallen Malden Officer Remembered at Dedication Ceremony

A dedication ceremony honoring a Malden Police officer who died 50 years ago after being shot in the line of duty was held Monday night across from the former A&P supermarket site on Pleasant Street.

Dozens attended the ceremony, led by Police Chief Kevin Molis, as they witnessed the unveiling of a monument dedicated to Edward C. Callahan.

At about 7:10 p.m. Sept. 14, 1963, Callahan and his partner, George Hood, responded to the then-A&P supermarket for a report of a robbery in progress. During a confrontation with the suspects, Callahan was shot, and two days later on Sept. 16 he succumbed to his injuries. He was 36.

Callahan, a 10-year veteran on the force, was born on Feb. 20, 1927 and was the 180th child born in Malden that year, according to Molis. 

"By all accounts, he was a good and decent man and a dedicated police officer, and a devoted husband to his wife, Mimi, and a loving father to his two children, Debbie and Eddie," Molis said, adding that Callahan's son would later service as a Malden Police officer before passing away due to an illness at 33.

Night of the Shooting

Molis described the events that led up to shooting on Sept. 14, 1963, saying that Callahan was working the west car with Hood from 5 p.m. to midnight. The pair responded to reports of a ball game, a fire alarm activation at Box 616 and a broken windshield report on Ivy Road before learning about a possible armed robbery in progress.

"...They were at Pearl Street and Hubbard Street when they received information about a possible robbery in progress at the A&P supermarket located at 347 Pleasant St.," said the police chief. "They responded and upon arrival they were confronted by an armed criminal who opened fire. Both officers were struck. When Officer Callahan and his partner responded to that call, they were fulfilling their solemn oath that they had taken when they received their badges as police officers.

"...Officer Callahan was willing to yield his own life for the protection of others."

A Difficult Decision

Hood was taken to then-Malden Hospital, while Callahan was transported to Massachusetts General Hospital, according to Molis. 

"...Officer Callahan clung to life for 46 1/2 hours," Molis said. "When he could not be saved, a decision was made that someone else would be saved. Officer Callahan's wife, Mimi, made a very brave decision that even shocked the medical profession. She was asked and she consented that he donate his liver so another person might live."

Immediately after Callahan's passing, his liver was transplanted to a Roxbury man, according to Molis. 

Following the shooting, Molis said a getaway driver was apprehended at the scene by an alert armed citizen, while a second suspect that fled on foot to Medford was taken into custody by two Medford Police detectives.

"The shooter was apprehended in Maine several days later," reads the Officer Down Memorial Page website. "He was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to death. In 1971 his sentence was commuted to life."

According to Molis, 137 police officers were killed in the line of duty in 1963. 

Honoring an Officer

Among the dozens of current and former officers in attendance, Callahan's widow was recognized by Molis during the ceremony.

"Mrs. Callahan, in my opinion, has been the first lady of the Malden Police Department," said the police chief. "She has shown grace, dignity, courage, and faith and she has endured much, but she has never...said 'no' to us when we've asked her to step up and represent us."

A rose bush was planted at the monument, which was unveiled with the help of Frank Hughes, Callahan's nephew and a major with the Massachusetts State Police, and Joshua Redmond, Callahan's grandson who is currently training at Boylston Police Academy to eventually become a Malden Police officer. 

While a bagpiper played "The Mist Covered Mountains," a sign displaying Callahan's name and image was unveiled at Edward C. Callahan Memorial Square, with a large American flag flying from atop a fire engine ladder.