In the early hours of April 24, 2007, a call about shots fired near an unoccupied nightclub on Lincoln Way East in South Bend, Indiana, set in motion a tragic chain of events. Responding to the report at approximately 1:37 a.m. were South Bend Police Corporal Nick Samuel Polizzotto, a 34-year-old white male, and his partner. Polizzotto, a nine-year veteran of the force, had dreamed of being a police officer since he was a child.
Witnesses at the scene directed the officers to a room at
the nearby Wooden Indian Motel. As they attempted to question the 45-year-old male suspect at his door, he suddenly opened fire with a. 22-caliber handgun. A volley of ten shots erupted, striking both officers. Corporal Polizzotto was hit under his arm, in an area not protected by his ballistic vest, while his partner was struck in the shoulder. The officers returned fire, and in the ensuing exchange, the suspect was shot and killed.
Tragically, Corporal Polizzotto succumbed to his injuries an hour later at Memorial Hospital. His partner survived the gunshot wound. The investigation that followed confirmed that the officers had acted in self-defense. As the sole suspect was killed during the confrontation, no arrests were made, and the case did not proceed to trial. The death of Corporal Polizzotto, a dedicated officer and father to an 8-year-old son, was a profound loss for his family, the South Bend Police Department, and the community he served.
