On a cold January morning in 1989, New York City Police Officer William Gunn, a 28-year-old male, was part of a team of detectives investigating a pair of murders in Brooklyn. Their search for a suspect led them to an apartment building in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood. As the officers approached the suspect's residence, the man, identified as Ralph Richardson, burst out and began shooting, wounding one of the detectives.
In a heroic act, Gunn rushed to aid his fallen colleague and was tragically shot in the head.
The gunman managed to escape the initial scene, hiding in a nearby apartment after killing the 67-year-old woman who lived there. A week-long manhunt ensued, during which Richardson committed several robberies. His spree ended when he was wounded by an off-duty police officer while attempting to rob a store. Though he escaped once more, police closed in on him later that night. Trapped in a stolen car, Richardson took his own life.
For nearly four years, William Gunn remained in a coma. He succumbed to his injuries on November 27, 1992, at the age of 32. Having served with the NYPD for ten years, he was posthumously promoted to the rank of Detective. For his bravery, he was awarded the department's highest honor, the Medal of Honor. In his memory, a portion of a street in Brooklyn was renamed Detective William T. Gunn Avenue, and a playground was also dedicated in his name.
