Detective Robert E. Walls

Robert E. Walls

Detective Robert Walls died of wounds he received the previous month when he was shot while attempting to arrest two 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 a bar on Seventh Street in Newark, New Jersey. Two 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.

Three suspects, including the getaway car driver, were later apprehended and charged with murder. All three were convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to two consecutive 30 year terms.

Detective Walls had served with the Essex County Sheriff's Department for 27 years.