In the fall of 1981, a violent and tragic event unfolded in Nanuet, New York, that would claim the lives of two police officers and a security guard. On October 20th, members of the Weather Underground and the Black Liberation Army, armed and determined, targeted a Brink's armored car at the Nanuet Mall. During the robbery, they shot and killed Brink's guard Peter Paige and wounded another guard.
The assailants then made their escape in a U-Haul truck, setting off a chain of events that would lead to more bloodshed.
A roadblock was established by local law enforcement on Route 59. It was there that Nyack Police Sergeant Edward O'Grady, a 33-year-old male, along with his partner Officer Waverly Brown, stopped the suspects' vehicle. As the officers approached the truck, they were met with a sudden and brutal onslaught of automatic gunfire. The heavily armed individuals in the back of the truck opened fire, fatally wounding both Sergeant O'Grady and Officer Brown. Sergeant O'Grady was transported to Nyack Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries ninety minutes later.
The aftermath of the violent shootout launched a massive investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice. The search for those responsible led to a series of arrests and lengthy legal battles. Several members of the revolutionary groups involved in the robbery and murders were eventually apprehended. In the ensuing trials, eleven suspects received sentences ranging from twelve to one hundred years in prison for their roles in the deadly heist and the murders of Sergeant O'Grady, Officer Brown, and Peter Paige.
Over the years, the case continued to see developments as some of those convicted became eligible for parole. One of the individuals, Kathy Boudin, was paroled after serving twenty-two years. Another accomplice was released and passed away shortly after. The alleged ringleader of the group, Mutulu Shakur, was eventually captured after years on the run and was sentenced to sixty years in prison. Having served nearly thirty-seven years, he was granted parole on compassionate grounds due to declining health and was released in December 2022, passing away about eight months later.
