Bio & Incident Details
Age: 31
Tour: 9 years
Badge # Not available
Cause: Gunfire
Incident Date: 12/4/1980
Weapon: Handgun; .25 caliber
Suspect: presumed dead
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Chief Gregory Adams was shot and killed while making a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Agway Feed Store. Chief Adams was on Water Street when the suspect sped past a stop sign. Chief Adams pursued the suspect and caught up with him when the suspect attempted to turn around in the Agway parking lot.
To stop the suspect Chief Adams used his patrol car to block the exit of the parking lot and approached the suspect's driver's side door. When asked to provide his driver's license, the suspect gave Chief Adams a fake ID and then shot Chief Adams twice in the chest; Chief Adams was not wearing a bullet proof vest at the time as he had lent his to another officer. The suspect then got out of the car and the Chief returned fire, but the shots were not fatal. It is believed that the suspect was en route to rob a jewelry store when Chief Adams stopped him.
The suspect then used Chief Adams' gun to pistol whip him and fled the scene. Chief Adam's weapon was found seven miles away in Winfield, Pennsylvania, and the suspect's car was found in Warwick, Rhode Island. He was placed on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted list in 1981; he was removed from the list in March 2007 and presumed dead.
Chief Adams had served with the agency for 7 years and had been in law enforcement for 9 years, having served with the Washington, D.C. police department before joining the Saxonburg department. He was survived by his wife and two sons, and is buried in St Marys Cemetery, Herman, Pennsylvania.
