In the summer of 2005, a violent encounter outside a Newark high school tragically cut short the life of 35-year-old Special Police Officer Dwayne Anthony Reeves. On July 18th, Officer Reeves and his partner were intervening in a fight between two female students near Weequahic High School when a car approached. Two men exited the vehicle and opened fire, striking Reeves in the head. His partner was also wounded, suffering a gunshot to the hand.
The wounded officer was able to return fire, hitting one of the assailants in the stomach. Despite being rushed to University Hospital, Officer Reeves succumbed to his injuries a few hours later. He was a dedicated officer who had served with the Newark Police Division for three years, assigned to the school district, and also worked for the Newark Housing Authority Police. He was survived by his wife and several children.
Two suspects were quickly identified and apprehended. Khalil Tutt, the man who was shot by Reeves' partner, was taken into custody shortly after the incident. The second suspect was Hassan Reeds. Both men were charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Officer Reeves.
The legal proceedings that followed were complex. In October 2007, both Tutt and Reeds were acquitted of murder. However, the jury found Tutt guilty of reckless manslaughter and several other charges. He was subsequently sentenced to 30 years in prison. Hassan Reeds was convicted of receiving stolen property and sentenced to ten years. Years later, in an unrelated incident in 2019, Hassan Reeds was shot and killed on a Newark street. Khalil Tutt was reportedly paroled in 2019.
