In the early morning hours of August 9, 1985, a dedicated police corporal, Myron James Massey, a 32-year-old Black / African American man, was on patrol in Fairfield, Alabama. His shift took a fatal turn when he spotted a vehicle on Interstate 20, near the Ensley Avenue exit, that was suspected of being involved in an armed robbery and shooting earlier that night. At approximately 3:00 a.m., Corporal Massey initiated a traffic stop, a routine procedure that would tragically be his last.
As he approached the vehicle, one of the two occupants opened fire with a handgun, inflicting a fatal wound.
The two suspects were apprehended following the shooting. One of the men was subsequently tried, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison for his role in the murder of Corporal Massey. The other individual, identified as Patrick Carr, was a juvenile at the time. Due to his age, he was adjudicated as a juvenile delinquent for his involvement in the events that led to the officer's death and was committed to a juvenile detention facility.
Carr's story, however, did not end there. He later managed to escape from the juvenile facility. His freedom was short-lived, as he was eventually recaptured and placed in the Jefferson Correctional Facility. Tragically, on January 12, 1990, Carr's violent actions would claim another life. He murdered Alabama Department of Corrections Officer William Donaldson, who was dispensing medicine in a segregation unit. Following this second murder, Patrick Carr ultimately took his own life. Myron Massey, a United States Air Force veteran who had served with the Fairfield Police Department for five years and had recently been honored as the 'Fairfield Police Officer of the Year,' was survived by his wife and four children. In a lasting tribute to his service and sacrifice, Avenue G in Fairfield was renamed Myron Massey Boulevard.
