John Jacob Smith, a 59-year-old Caucasian male police officer, was shot on the evening of the Fourth of July in 1904 in Washington, D.C. A veteran of the Metropolitan Police Department for over thirty years, Smith was on duty at the Aqueduct Bridge, managing the crowds gathered for the fireworks display. The incident began when Officer Smith approached three soldiers from Fort Myer who were causing a disturbance and obstructing the passage on the bridge.
He requested that they move along.
An altercation ensued between Officer Smith and one of the soldiers. During this struggle, a second soldier, identified as Samuel Young, a cavalryman, drew a. 38 caliber handgun and fired three shots. One of the bullets struck Smith in the abdomen. Despite the chaos of the holiday celebrations, the wounded officer managed to stagger to a patrol box and call for assistance. The suspects fled the scene, with the noise of the fireworks initially masking the sound of the gunshots.
Officer Smith was transported to Georgetown University Hospital, where he succumbed to his wound three days later, on July 7, 1904. He was survived by his wife and their six children. The suspects were eventually apprehended. Samuel Young, the gunman, was arrested shortly after the shooting. During questioning, he confessed to the shooting but claimed he was intoxicated and believed he was firing blank cartridges. Despite his confession, Young was tried for murder and, on April 12, 1905, he was acquitted of the crime.
