On a Friday in September of 1987, a 29-year-old male Aurora Police Agent named Edward John Hockom was on duty. Ten minutes prior, an armed robbery had taken place at a convenience store, and a description of the suspect's vehicle, a red Ford pickup, had been broadcast. Agent Hockom spotted a vehicle matching this description and initiated a traffic stop. The driver, Marvin Walker Jr., opened fire on Agent Hockom, striking him.
Despite being wounded, Agent Hockom was able to return fire.
Walker fled the scene in his pickup truck, leading other Aurora police officers on a lengthy pursuit that spanned across multiple interstates. The chase finally came to an end when an officer strategically positioned his patrol car in front of Walker's truck and braked, causing a collision that disabled the suspect's vehicle. Marvin Walker Jr. was then taken into custody.
Edward John Hockom succumbed to his gunshot wounds four days later, on September 21, 1987. He had served with the Aurora Police Department for seven and a half years and was survived by his wife and two sons. The suspect, Marvin Walker Jr., was subsequently charged with murder, in addition to three other robberies he had committed in the hour leading up to the fatal shooting. He was ultimately sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
