On the evening of February 18, 1994, Officer David C. Douglass, Sr., a 34-year-old male patrolman with the Lower Township Police Department, was dispatched to a call about a suspicious person in the North Cape May section of the township. The call would set in motion a tragic chain of events that would end in the officer's death. The suspicious person was Chung Ho, a 49-year-old disgruntled restaurant worker who, seeking revenge for being fired earlier that day, had burglarized his employer's home on Town Bank Road and then set it ablaze.
Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Douglass encountered Ho and began a foot pursuit. As Douglass chased him, Ho turned and fired a weapon, striking the officer. Despite being mortally wounded, Officer Douglass managed to return fire, hitting Ho in the hand. The injured officer was able to make it back to his patrol vehicle to radio for assistance but ultimately succumbed to his wound.
He had served with the Lower Township Police Department for 18 years and was a dedicated community member, also serving as a lieutenant and president of the Town Bank Volunteer Fire Department.
An intense, six-week investigation followed the shooting, involving the Lower Township Police and several other agencies, including the NYPD. The investigation led them to New York City, where Chung Ho was arrested in his home in April 1994. In 1995, Ho pleaded guilty to felony murder to avoid a potential death penalty sentence. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Officer Douglass. After serving 30 years of his sentence, Ho was granted parole in 2024 and was scheduled for release.
