In the cool autumn evening of October 18, 1988, 24-year-old Police Officer Michael J. Buczek, a man who had served with the New York City Police Department for over three years, was nearing the end of his shift in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. Responding to what seemed like a routine call for a woman having difficulty breathing at 580 West 161st Street, Officer Buczek and his partner, Joseph Barbato, found the woman feeling better upon their arrival.
As they were leaving the building, their attention was drawn to several men they suspected were involved in a drug transaction.
When the officers approached the men, they fled, prompting a foot chase. In the ensuing pursuit, one of the suspects turned and fired a gun, striking Officer Buczek in the chest. His partner returned fire as he rushed to aid his fallen comrade. Officer Buczek was rushed to Columbia-Presbyterian Hospital, but his life could not be saved. Less than three hours earlier that same night, another NYPD officer, Christopher Hoban, had been killed in a separate, unrelated incident, marking a dark day for the department.
The three suspects involved in Officer Buczek's murder immediately fled to the Dominican Republic. The path to justice was long and arduous. One of the suspects, Daniel Mirambeaux, who was identified as the shooter, died in police custody in the Dominican Republic while awaiting extradition. Years later, through the persistent efforts of law enforcement, the two other suspects were apprehended. In 2000, United States Marshals captured Pablo Almonte. The third suspect, Jose Fernandez, was apprehended in the Dominican Republic in May 2002. On June 19, 2003, both Almonte and Fernandez were sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for their roles in the murder of Officer Michael J. Buczek.
