Norwood Chief Makes Arrest On Night Off-This Day In Norwood History-May 22, 1969

On the night of May 22, 1969, while most Norwood residents settled into their evening routines, Norwood Police Chief James M. Murphy found himself in the middle of a fast‑moving, multi‑jurisdictional manhunt—despite being off duty and driving through Boston with his wife.

The drama began hours earlier in the Boston Public Garden, where Patrolman Joseph Raphanella, assigned to scooter patrol, confronted a man walking on the grass. The man, identified as David M. Regan, 25, of 2 Anderson Place, Boston, refused to comply. A scuffle broke out, and in the chaos Regan allegedly grabbed the officer’s .38‑caliber service revolver from its holster.

The weapon fell to the ground, where it was scooped up by one of the roughly 300 onlookers who had gathered. The gun was tossed into the crowd and ultimately seized by a man who fled in a white car with Texas plates. Regan was arrested at the scene and charged with larceny of the pistol, but the stolen firearm vanished into the city.

Boston police issued an all‑points bulletin, warning that the suspect vehicle was believed to be carrying the missing gun.

A Chance Encounter on Summer Street

At about 7:15 p.m., Chief Murphy was visiting Capt. H. Maurice Coughlin, night commander of District 1, when he learned of the bulletin. Less than half an hour later, at 7:41 p.m., he spotted a car on Summer Street that matched the description.

Murphy, driving with his wife and heading toward the Arch Street Chapel, made a quick U‑turn and caught up with the vehicle at a red light.

What followed was a textbook example of calm, decisive police work.

The chief approached the driver at gunpoint, ordering him to exit the vehicle and lean against it. Inside the car were two young women, whom Murphy instructed to remain seated with their hands visible. The driver was identified as Glenn Riley, 22, of Austin, Texas.

Holding the Scene Alone

With no backup yet on scene, Murphy held Riley at gunpoint while his wife and a passerby—Assistant Attorney General Raymond Jennings—called police. Several bystanders also offered to help notify authorities.

Boston officers arrived within minutes. A search of the vehicle uncovered a .22‑caliber pistol in the glove compartment, but it was not the missing service weapon taken from Patrolman Raphanella. The two women were questioned and released. Riley was arrested and charged with unlawfully carrying a firearm in a motor vehicle, with arraignment scheduled in Boston Municipal Court.

As for the missing .38, police believed it had been thrown into a Back Bay catch basin and planned to drain it the following day.

Chief Murphy’s quick action—taken on his own time, with no backup, and in the middle of downtown Boston—brought a dangerous situation under control and underscored the professionalism that defined Norwood’s police leadership during a turbulent era.