In the early morning hours of a frigid Tuesday, January 31st, 1984, the life of Angelo E. Brown, a 27-year-old male police officer, was tragically cut short on a Brooklyn street. Brown, who had served with the New York City Police Department for a single year, was walking home after a night out when he slipped on a patch of ice and fell to the ground on Sterling Place near Buffalo Avenue in Crown Heights.
As he lay on the pavement, two men who were sitting in a nearby car saw their opportunity.
The two men, aged 19 and 26, got out of their vehicle and set upon the fallen officer. They beat him, striking him with a wooden stick, and stole his off-duty firearm. As the assailants attempted to make their escape in their car, a valiant and determined Brown jumped onto the hood of the moving vehicle in a desperate attempt to stop them and retrieve his weapon. His efforts were in vain, as he was thrown from the car. One of the suspects then exited the vehicle and shot him multiple times in the neck. Angelo Brown was rushed to St. Mary's Hospital, but his injuries proved to be fatal.
The investigation into the murder of Officer Brown led to the swift apprehension of both suspects. They were subsequently convicted of second-degree murder and each received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. After serving decades behind bars, both men were eventually granted parole. The older of the two was released in 2020, and the younger followed in 2021. One of the convicted men, Steven Chirse, found himself back in police custody in May of 2022, accused of assaulting his girlfriend.
