On the afternoon of Saturday, June 28, 1986, a young, male New York City Police Officer named Scott Gadell, aged 22, was on patrol with his partner, James Connelly, in the 101st Precinct in Far Rockaway, Queens. The officers were flagged down by two men who reported that a gunman had just fired shots at them. Gadell and his partner began to canvass the area and soon spotted the suspect.
A foot pursuit ensued, with the officers chasing the man through a tangle of bungalows and rooming houses.
The chase led them to an alleyway near a rooming house at 30-15 Seagirt Boulevard. The officers decided to split up to cut off the suspect's escape. As Officer Gadell entered the alley, the gunman, who was crouched in a basement entryway, opened fire with a 9mm handgun. Gadell returned fire, emptying his. 38-caliber revolver. As the rookie officer, who had only been on the force for eleven months, paused to reload his weapon, the assailant approached and fatally shot him in the head at close range. His partner rushed him to Peninsula Hospital Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The shooter fled the scene, sparking a massive manhunt. Two months later, on August 18, 1986, authorities apprehended the suspect, Errol Campbell, also known as Robert Roulston, at a Brooklyn apartment. At the time of the shooting, Campbell was out on bail for a 1985 drug-related murder. He was charged with the murder of Officer Gadell.
Errol Campbell was subsequently convicted of Officer Gadell's murder and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Investigators also linked him to the 1985 killing. After serving several decades, Campbell became eligible for parole. On June 9, 2021, he was granted parole and released. Following his release, he was deported to Jamaica. The death of Officer Gadell prompted the NYPD to make changes to the equipment issued to its officers, including the adoption of speedloaders for revolvers and eventually a transition to semi-automatic pistols to be on more even footing with the weaponry used by criminals.
