On a Wednesday afternoon in the Bronx, the life of 47-year-old Milton S. Clarke, a Black male, was tragically cut short. It was December 1, 1993, at approximately 2:30 p.m. when the off-duty Auxiliary Police Officer heard the sound of gunfire erupting on Eastchester Road. A dispute between two men had escalated, resulting in one of them being shot.
Driven by a sense of duty that extended beyond his official hours, Clarke, who had served with the New York City Police Department's Auxiliary Police Section for four and a half years, decided to intervene. Armed with his own licensed. 380-caliber semi-automatic pistol, he confronted the gunman. The armed suspect, however, turned his weapon on Clarke, opening fire and striking him in the chest with a fatal shot. Clarke was rushed to Jacobi Medical Center, but his injuries proved to be too severe, and he succumbed to them at the hospital.
In the aftermath of the shooting, an investigation led to the apprehension of the perpetrator. In December of 1996, three years after the incident, the suspect was convicted of second-degree murder for his role in the death of Auxiliary Police Officer Milton S. Clarke. He received a sentence of 32 years to life in prison for his crimes. Clarke was survived by his wife, Zelma, and their two children, Wayne and Monique.
