On an autumn evening in Brooklyn, New York, James Whittington, a 42-year-old off-duty police officer of Panamanian heritage, was getting a haircut in a barbershop. His day took a fateful turn when he was alerted to a man armed with a gun arguing with a woman outside. Driven by his duty to protect, Whittington immediately went to intervene. The armed man fled, and Whittington pursued him in his car, catching up to him in front of a housing development on Dumont Avenue.
A struggle ensued
between Officer Whittington and the suspect, Martin Mitchell. During the confrontation, Mitchell managed to gain control of Whittington's. 38 caliber handgun and fired multiple shots. Whittington was struck in the face and shoulder. Mitchell then fled the scene, leaving the officer fatally wounded on the sidewalk. A Housing Police Officer discovered Whittington and rushed him to Brookdale Hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of October 31, 1982. He had served with the New York Police Department for nine years and was survived by his wife and two daughters. In November 2023, he was posthumously promoted to the rank of Detective.
The perpetrator, Martin Mitchell, who was 24 years old at the time and had a lengthy criminal record, was later apprehended. On January 5, 1984, he was convicted of manslaughter for the death of Officer Whittington and sentenced to 12 to 25 years in prison. In a separate case, he was also sentenced to 20 years to life for the attempted murder of a Queens detective. Over the years, Mitchell has become eligible for parole, with hearings scheduled as recently as June 2024, but he remains incarcerated at the Elmira Correctional Facility.
