Police Officer Irving W. Smith

Irving W. Smith

Police Officer Irving Smith was shot and killed when he attempted to stop a robbery in progress while off-duty.

Officer Smith was in a bar at 477 Rogers Avenue, Brooklyn, when two men who were in the bar attempted to rob it. One man drew a .32 caliber handgun and the other a 12-inch knife and ordered all the customers to lie on the floor. Officer Smith drew his firearm and identified himself as a police officer and ordered the men to drop their weapons.

The suspect armed with the gun opened fire, and in an exchange of gunfire Officer Smith and the suspect were both killed. The suspect with the knife was also struck by Officer Smith's gunfire but was able to flee. He was arrested later that night when he arrived at the hospital seeking medical attention.

The surviving suspect, who as on parole for robbery, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 15 years to life in prison. He was paroled in 2001 after serving 21 years.

Officer Smith was assigned to the Transit Authority Police Academy, where he was a firearms instructor.