In the early morning hours of October 20, 1977, the life of Cheektowaga Police Officer David J. Tolsma was tragically cut short. The 32-year-old U.S. Navy veteran and six-year veteran of the police force was responding to a robbery in progress at a Holiday Inn on Genesee Street. It was there that he was shot and killed.
The man responsible for Officer Tolsma's death was a 23-year-old escapee who had been on the run for three days.
A massive manhunt ensued, and 13 hours after the fatal shooting, the suspect was captured. He, along with a 25-year-old accomplice, was tried and ultimately sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of Officer Tolsma.
Officer Tolsma, a married father of a son and a daughter, was remembered for his dedicated service to his community. His death left a profound void in the lives of his family and colleagues. In a heart-wrenching account, his daughter, who was only seven at the time, recalled the devastating moment her mother told her that her father would not be coming home. The two men convicted of his murder were eventually paroled; the accomplice on December 28, 2015, and the primary suspect on March 4, 2020.
