On a Friday evening in September 2004, a decorated NYPD detective, Robert Parker, a 43-year-old male, found himself in a fatal struggle on a street in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn. He and his partner, Detective Patrick Rafferty, were responding to a domestic violence call from a woman who reported her son was trying to steal her car. The detectives were familiar with the suspect, a man with a lengthy criminal record.
Arriving on East 49th Street, the detectives strategically
drove the wrong way to block the vehicle the suspect was in. As they approached to make the arrest, a violent confrontation erupted. The suspect, Marlon Legere, managed to wrestle Detective Parker's service weapon away from him. In the ensuing chaos, Legere opened fire, striking both detectives. Despite being gravely wounded, Detective Parker was able to make a 911 call and identify his killer to the operator.
Following the shooting, Legere carjacked a minivan and fled the scene. However, his escape was short-lived. He was apprehended less than two hours later, just a few blocks from the crime scene, after a citizen reported a suspicious person. Both Detective Parker and Detective Rafferty succumbed to their injuries at Kings County Hospital.
Marlon Legere was charged with multiple counts, including first-degree murder. During his trial, he claimed self-defense, a defense that was ultimately rejected by the jury. He was convicted and sentenced to two life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. For his bravery, Detective Parker, a 22-year veteran of the NYPD, was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department's Medal of Honor.
