On the evening of July 24, 1988, Sergeant John David Conner III, a 38-year-old male officer with the Manassas Police Department, was shot and killed while responding to a disturbance call. A U.S. Army veteran, Conner had served with the department for eight years and was a husband and father of four. The incident that led to his death began with a report of a man on his front porch armed with an AR-15 rifle, firing shots into the air.
Upon the arrival of police units, the suspect, identified as Roy Bruce Smith, retreated into his townhouse and then exited through the rear. Sergeant Conner was strategically approaching the back of the residence when he encountered Smith. An exchange of gunfire ensued, during which Smith was shot in the foot. Sergeant Conner was struck three times, with the fatal wound being a gunshot to the back of his head. He was transported to a local hospital and then airlifted to Fairfax Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries a few hours later.
The investigation revealed that Smith, who had been involved in an argument with his wife earlier that day, was upset when he began firing his weapon. Following the shootout, Smith was taken into custody by other officers at the scene. He was later convicted of the murder of Sergeant Conner and sentenced to death. After nine years on death row, Roy Bruce Smith was executed for his crime.
