Patrolman James Roche
1928

53 years old
Tour of Duty: 6 Years
Died on Monday, October 15, 1928

Cause of Death: Gunfire

Date of Incident: September 23, 1928

Weapon Used : Hand-Gun

Suspect Info: Thomas Kelly, shot and killed by Officer Roche

Patrolman Roche was a 6-year veteran of the Nashua Police Department. Before immigrating to the United States, Patrolman Roche was a constable in Limerick, Ireland.

Patrolman Roche succumbed to injuries received three weeks earlier in a gunfight with a burglary suspect . Patrolman Roche was attempting to apprehend the suspect in a residence when he was shot five times. He was able to return fire, fatally wounding the suspect. Patrolman Roche was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries three weeks later.

Patrolman Roche had been with the agency for six years and had also been a police officer in Limerick, Ireland, before immigrating to the United States. He was survived by his wife and five children.

Officer Michael Latvis Jr
1918 - 1956

38 years old
Tour of Duty: 4 Years
Died on December 22, 1956

Cause of Death: Automobile Accident

Date of Incident: Friday, December 21, 1956

Weapon Used : N/A

Suspect Info: N/A

Patrolman Latvis was a four-year veteran of the Nashua Police Department.

On December 21, 1956, Patrolman Latvis was riding in an ambulance that was responding to the call of an injured woman. When the ambulance approached the intersection of West Pearl and Chestnut Street, it was struck by another vehicle. The ambulance spun around and crashed into a utility pole.

Patrolman Latvis was ejected from the front seat of the ambulance and suffered a fractured skull and died from his injuries the next day. The driver of the vehicle that crashed into the ambulance left the scene, but turned himself in to the police department that evening.

At the time of his death, Patrolman Latvis was 38 years old and left behind his wife and two children.

Patrolman Edward C. Graziano
1938 - 1964

26 years old
Tour of Duty: ThreeYears
Died on August 14, 1964

Cause of Death: Motorcycle Accident

Date of Incident: Friday, August 14, 1964

Weapon Used : N/A

Suspect Info:N/A

Patrolman Edward (Rocky) Graziano was the first motorcycle officer killed in the line of duty in New Hampshire. He was a member of the Nashua Police Department for three years at the time of his death. He had also served as a member of the Middlesex County Police Department in Massachusetts and as the interim chief of the Durham Police Department.

During the early morning hours on August 14, 1964, while on patrol of the D.W. Highway, Patrolman Graziano’s motorcycle was struck by a vehicle from the next lane. The vehicle then came into his lane pinning him beneath it.

He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries. He was twenty-six years old.

He left behind his wife and three children.

Acting Chief Armand J. Roussel
1921 - 1971

50 Years Old
Tour of Duty: 18 Years
Died on October 27, 1971

Cause of Death: Gunshot

Date of Incident: Friday, October 15, 1971

Weapon Used : Handgun

Suspect Info: Calvin Parker, Fatally shot at the scene

Acting Chief Roussel joined the Nashua Police Department in 1953 and was appointed Acting Chief on September 25, 1971. He was born in Nashua on April 6, 1921, and was a life long resident. He served with the United States Navy in World War II, during which he received numerous commendations and citations. He was an Honorary New Hampshire Deputy Sheriff and a member of the Nashua Police Relief Association.

On the evening of Friday, October 15, 1971, Acting Chief Roussel went to an apartment on Gingras drive in Nashua with other officers after residents had called the police to report that an armed man was causing a disturbance. When Acting Chief Roussel arrived, he found Calvin Parker sitting on his front doorstep holding a pistol to the back of another man. Parker was known to the Nashua Police and had recently been paroled from the New Hampshire State Prison for walking into the Nashua police station and opening fire with weapons concealed beneath his coat.

Parker would not speak to the officers, but demanded to talk to the chief. Acting Chief Roussel approached Parker along with acting Inspector Raymond Landry. Parker demanded to see the chief again and when Acting Chief Roussel responded that he was the Acting Chief, Parker pushed his hostage to one side and fired three shots into Roussel from a distance of approximately six feet.

Acting Chief Roussel was taken to the hospital where he began to recover, but, twelve days later, he died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism. Parker died at the scene in the ensuing gun battle. Acting Chief Roussel was 50 years old.

He was survived by his wife five sons and one daughter.