In the early hours of November 13, 1979, Richmond Police Patrolman Michael P. Connors, a 23-year-old male, was on duty when he pulled over a vehicle for traveling the wrong way on a one-way street near the intersection of Madison and Grace Streets. Unbeknownst to the young officer, who had only been with the department for a year, the four men inside the car were recent parolees who had just committed an armed robbery at a nearby convenience store. Mistakenly believing that Patrolman Connors had witnessed their crime, the occupants of the vehicle opened fire as he approached. He was struck four times in the face and was found minutes later by his lieutenant.
The investigation into the shooting led to the arrest of four suspects. All four individuals were subsequently convicted for their roles in the murder of Patrolman Connors and were sentenced to life in prison. The man identified as the shooter was initially handed a death sentence. However, this was later commuted to a life sentence following a second trial. The other three accomplices also received life sentences for their involvement in the crime.
Decades later, the case resurfaced in a controversial decision by the Virginia Parole Board. In 2020, the board granted parole to Vincent Martin, the man convicted of firing the fatal shots that killed Patrolman Connors. The decision was met with significant backlash, particularly because the parole board had reportedly failed to follow its own procedures by not notifying Connors' surviving family members of the hearing. An investigation by the Virginia Office of the State Inspector General later determined that the parole board had violated state law and its own policies in granting the parole. The release of Martin was temporarily halted amid the ensuing investigation and public outcry from law enforcement and the victim's family.
