On the evening of March 14, 2007, Nicholas Todd Pekearo, a 28-year-old male, was on patrol as an auxiliary police officer in Manhattan's Greenwich Village. What started as a routine foot patrol with his partner, Auxiliary Officer Yevgeniy Marshalik, quickly escalated into a tragic and fatal encounter. The two unarmed volunteer officers heard a radio dispatch about a shooting at a nearby pizza shop on Sullivan Street and spotted a man matching the suspect's description.
The man they
confronted was David Garvin, who had just shot a bartender multiple times. Pekearo and Marshalik ordered Garvin to drop a bag he was carrying. Although he initially complied, Garvin then attacked Marshalik and fled. As the two auxiliary officers gave chase, Garvin drew a handgun and opened fire. Pekearo sought cover behind a parked vehicle, but Garvin pursued him and shot him six times. The gunman then turned his attention to Marshalik, fatally shooting him in the head.
Responding uniformed NYPD officers arrived at the chaotic scene and confronted Garvin. The gunman exchanged fire with the officers before attempting to hide in a nearby store. When he emerged, he was shot and killed by the police. Investigators later found that Garvin was heavily armed, carrying two handguns and over 100 rounds of ammunition. Nicholas Todd Pekearo, who had served with the 6th Precinct Auxiliary Police Unit for four years and was also a writer, died from his injuries. The suspect, David Garvin, was killed at the scene, and therefore no arrests were made in connection with Pekearo's death.
