In the bustling Port Authority Bus Terminal in Manhattan, a place of constant motion and fleeting encounters, the life of 27-year-old Port Authority Police Officer Henry J. Koebel came to a sudden and violent end. On Friday, May 26, 1978, what began as a routine interaction escalated into a fatal confrontation that left a wife without her husband and a city mourning a fallen officer.
Earlier in the day, Officer Koebel had removed a homeless man from the terminal for harassing people.
About an hour later, the same man returned and once again began disturbing patrons who were waiting in line to purchase bus tickets. Officer Koebel intervened, attempting to place the man under arrest. A struggle ensued, and in the chaos, the man managed to gain control of Officer Koebel's service weapon.
With the officer's own gun turned against him, the man fired three shots, striking and killing Officer Koebel. The suspect then attempted to flee through the busy terminal, still armed with the firearm. Other Port Authority Police Officers responded to the sound of gunfire and pursued the suspect. In the ensuing moments, the suspect was shot and killed by the responding officers, bringing a swift and lethal conclusion to the tragic event. Officer Koebel was survived by his wife.
