On a September evening in 1979, New York City Police Officer Edwin A. Fogel, a 39-year-old white male, was on patrol with his partner in Manhattan. The officers initiated a traffic stop on the Harlem River Drive. After obtaining the driver's information, they returned to their patrol car to run a check. As they were doing so, the driver suddenly fled in his vehicle, leading the officers on a pursuit that ended when the suspect crashed his car just south of the George Washington Bridge.
As Officer Fogel and his partner approached the crashed vehicle, the suspect opened fire. Officer Fogel was fatally wounded in the exchange, and his partner was injured. Despite being wounded himself, the suspect managed to steal the officers' patrol car and flee the scene. He abandoned the vehicle approximately two miles away. A group of civilians who had witnessed the events followed the suspect and led police to his location, resulting in his apprehension.
The man who shot Officer Fogel was identified as a career criminal who had spent a significant portion of his life, over 27 years, in prison. At the time of the shooting, he was on parole for murder. Following his arrest for Officer Fogel's death, the suspect managed to escape from Riker's Island Jail before his trial but was ultimately recaptured. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison. The suspect died in prison on October 11, 1990. For his bravery, Officer Edwin Fogel was posthumously awarded the New York City Police Department's Medal of Honor. He was survived by his wife and two children.
