In the pre-dawn hours of a summer Sunday, a palpable sense of duty propelled 23-year-old Melvin Vincent Santiago, a male who had only been a police officer for a matter of months, to respond to a robbery call at a 24-hour Walgreens in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was July 13, 2014, and the rookie officer was about to unknowingly confront a man who had orchestrated a violent ambush.
Inside the pharmacy, 27-year-old Lawrence Campbell had assaulted an armed security guard, taking his firearm not for the purpose of robbery, but to lure law enforcement into a deadly trap.
As Officer Santiago and his partner pulled into the Walgreens parking lot just after 4 a.m., Campbell, who had told a witness to watch the news because he was 'going to be famous,' emerged and opened fire on their patrol car without warning. Before he could even exit the vehicle, Santiago was struck in the head by the gunfire. The attack was sudden and brutal, leaving no chance for the young officer to react. He was rushed to the Jersey City Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
The scene quickly descended into a chaotic exchange of gunfire as other responding officers engaged Campbell. The suspect was shot multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene. In the aftermath, it was revealed that Campbell was a suspect in a previous homicide. An investigation later determined that Campbell was under the influence of alcohol and PCP at the time of the incident. The use of deadly force by the officers who shot Campbell was ultimately deemed justifiable.
The death of Officer Melvin Santiago, who had dreamed of being a police officer since he was a child, sent shockwaves through the Jersey City community. Hundreds of fellow officers and mourners attended his funeral to pay their respects to the officer who was posthumously promoted to the rank of detective. His end of watch came just seven months into a promising career dedicated to serving and protecting the public.
