In the winter of 1980, on the final day of February, a Brooklyn bar became the scene of a fatal confrontation that claimed the life of an off-duty police officer. Irving W. Smith, a 42-year-old male, was present at the establishment located at 477 Rogers Avenue when two men initiated a robbery. One of the assailants was armed with a. 32 caliber handgun, while the other carried a 12-inch knife, and they instructed all patrons to lie on the floor.
Reacting to the perilous situation, Smith,
a 12-year veteran of the New York City Transit Police Department and a firearms instructor, drew his own weapon. He identified himself as a police officer and demanded the robbers drop their weapons. An exchange of gunfire followed, during which both Officer Smith and the gunman were fatally wounded. The second suspect, who was armed with the knife, was also injured by Smith's gunfire but managed to flee the scene.
Later that same night, the surviving suspect was taken into custody when he sought medical attention for his injuries at a local hospital. It was discovered that he was on parole for a prior robbery conviction at the time of the incident. Following his arrest, he was convicted of murder and received a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. After serving 21 years of his sentence, he was granted parole in 2001.
