Deputy Superintendent Louis Joseph Sirgo

Louis Joseph Sirgo

Deputy Superintendent Sirgo, Patrolman Philip Coleman, and Patrolman Paul Persigo where shot and killed by a sniper who had shot several civilians and set fires at a local hotel. Superintendent Sirgo was shot as he led a team of officers up a dark stairwell to try to rescue two other officers who were trapped in an elevator. The suspect was hiding in the stairwell and opened fire on the officers. The suspect, who was a member of the Black Panthers, was shot and killed by police, who used a Marine Helicopter to fly over the hotel and fire at the suspect.

The suspect was also responsible for the murders of Cadet Alfred Harrell and Sergeant Edwin Hosli, who were shot in separate incidents eight days earlier. Officer Harrell was killed instantly and Sergeant Hosli succumbed to his wounds on March 5, 1973.

The Black Panthers is a racist, radical group that professed the murders of law enforcement officers. Members and former members of the group were responsible for the murders of at least 15 law enforcement officers and the wounding of dozens more across the nation.