Richard Brooks, a 44-year-old male, was a retired New York City police officer enjoying a second career as a Babylon Town bay constable, a part-time role he worked one day a week. On Friday, July 16, 2004, what began as a routine patrol on a quiet waterfront street in Oak Beach turned into a fatal encounter. While driving his marked constable vehicle on the Robert Moses Causeway around 3 p.m., Brooks observed a man driving erratically and attempted to pull him over.
The driver, later identified as 42-year-old James Wilson of Oak Beach, did not comply and instead led Brooks on a short pursuit to his home at 79 Hawser Dr. Upon arriving, Wilson abandoned his vehicle and fled inside. As Brooks exited his patrol car in the driveway and called for backup, Wilson fired a 12-gauge shotgun from a second-story window, striking the constable in the chest. In a final act of violence, Wilson came back outside, got into his vehicle, and ran over the fallen officer several times before attempting to flee the scene.
Responding to the call for backup, officers from the New York State Park Police had blocked the road. When Wilson was forced to stop and exited his vehicle, he aimed his shotgun at the officers. They responded by opening fire, killing him at the scene. Witnesses later reported that Wilson had been distraught and drinking heavily at a local bar prior to the tragic events.
Richard Brooks, a resident of Amityville, was a married father of two and a volunteer with the Amityville Fire Department. His death marked the first line-of-duty fatality for the Babylon Bay Constable unit. The incident sent shockwaves through the community, where he was remembered as a dedicated public servant who had spent two decades with the NYPD before seeking a quieter role in his hometown.
