Boston Police Officer Scott J. MacIsaac Dies While on Active Duty After 30-Year Career
A veteran officer’s death and the department’s account of his service
The Boston Police Department announced the death of Officer Scott J. MacIsaac, an active-duty member of the force who served for more than three decades. The department said MacIsaac died on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, after being diagnosed with cancer in 2025.
MacIsaac was appointed to the Boston Police Department on June 28, 1995. In a career that spanned multiple assignments across the city, he was most recently connected to District E-5, the West Roxbury-based district covering West Roxbury and Roslindale. The department said he had been assigned to E-5 for the past six years before being placed on extended sick leave.
Service record and cited commendations
In its public statement, the department described a personnel file “filled with commendations and accolades,” including recognition tied to arrests and anti-crime response. The department highlighted work in South Boston involving arrests for robberies and assaults, along with responses connected to breaking-and-entering incidents and motor-vehicle-related crime patterns.
Among the career moments referenced in the department’s summary were commendations related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, as well as incidents in which MacIsaac helped prevent a person from jumping from a bridge and performed CPR in a life-saving response.
Extended sick leave and how the department handles long absences
MacIsaac’s final assignment status reflected a departmental mechanism used when an officer is away from duty for an extended period. Department rules provide for reassignment to an “Extended Sick Unit” after a defined period of absence because of sickness, injury, or disability not incurred in the line of duty. Under those rules, returning to duty requires medical certification, including an examination process overseen by a physician designated by the police commissioner.
Family and community support
A fundraising page created in late January identified MacIsaac as a husband and father of three and described his illness as terminal following a battle with cancer. The fundraiser identified his wife as Heather and named three children: Declan, Shannon, and Brody. The page also stated that MacIsaac graduated from Catholic Memorial High School in 1989 and served in the U.S. Army before joining the police department.
Funeral arrangements
Publicly posted arrangements list visiting and services scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, beginning at 9 a.m. at the William J. Gormley Funeral Home, followed by a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. at St. John Chrysostom Church, located at 4750 Washington St. in West Roxbury.
The department described MacIsaac as “highly regarded” by colleagues and supervisors and said he made “a great impact” in the communities where he served.
- Died: Friday, Jan. 30, 2026
- Appointed to BPD: June 28, 1995
- Recent assignment: District E-5 (West Roxbury/Roslindale)
- Prior district assignments listed by the department: B-2, A-7, B-3, and C-6
- Services: Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in West Roxbury