Essex County Sheriff's Office, New Jersey
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 18, 1985
Age: 54
Tour of Duty: 27 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: November 26, 1985
Weapon Used: Handgun; .38 caliber
Suspect Info: Sentenced to 60 years
Detective Robert Walls died of wounds he received the previous month when he was shot while attempting to arrest three suspects committing a robbery. Sergeant Nathaniel Taylor was shot and killed in the same incident.
Detective Walls and Sergeant Taylor were off-duty and patronizing the V & J Tavern on Seventh Street in Newark. Three masked men entered the bar and announced a robbery. When Sergeant Taylor attempted to intervene, he was shot and killed by one of the suspects. Detective Walls drew his weapon, but was also shot and seriously wounded by one of the suspects. He died 24 days later from his wounds.
Two suspects, including the getaway car driver, were apprehended two days later and charged with murder. A third suspect was apprehended on June 17, 1986. All four, 17, 18, 18, and 21, were convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to two consecutive 30 year terms. Two will be eligible for parole in 2045 and the other two will be eligible in 2046.
Detective Walls had served with the Essex County Sheriff's Department for 27 years.