On a Tuesday morning in October 2012, Nassau County Police Officer Arthur Lopez, a 29-year-old male, was on patrol near the border of Nassau and Queens. He and his partner spotted a vehicle that they believed had been involved in a hit-and-run accident. The officers pursued the damaged car, driven by Darrell Fuller, as it headed south on the Cross Island Parkway.
The chase was short, and Fuller exited the parkway, pulling over at the intersection of 241st Street and Jamaica Avenue.
As Officer Lopez approached Fuller's car, an exchange of words occurred before Fuller opened fire, striking the officer in the chest. At the time of the shooting, Lopez was not wearing a protective vest. His partner, Officer Clarence Hudson, immediately radioed for assistance, reporting that his partner was down. Officer Lopez was rushed to North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. He was an eight-year veteran of the Nassau County Police Department and a member of its elite Emergency Services Unit.
Following the shooting of Officer Lopez, the suspect, Darrell Fuller, fled the scene in his vehicle. A short distance away, he abandoned his car and carjacked another vehicle, fatally shooting the driver, 58-year-old Raymond Facey, in the process. Fuller's attempt to escape justice was multifaceted; he even had a friend shoot him to create the appearance that he was also a victim. However, several hours later, authorities located and arrested Fuller, who was suffering from two self-inflicted gunshot wounds. It was discovered that Fuller was a former convict on parole for a prior attempted murder charge.
Darrell Fuller was subsequently charged with two counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Officer Arthur Lopez and Raymond Facey. In July 2014, after a seven-week trial that included testimony from 78 witnesses, a jury convicted Fuller on all charges. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2019, while serving his sentence, Darrell Fuller died in prison. Another individual was also arrested and charged in connection with providing Fuller with the firearm used in the murders.
