Police Officer Robert J. Bilodeau

Robert J. Bilodeau

Police Officer Robert Bilodeau was shot and killed when he approached six suspicious men in Harlem.

Officer Bilodeau and his partner were on patrol when they observed a group of men acting suspiciously. He and his partner observed one of the men adjusting what they thought was a gun in his waistband. When they exited their unmarked car to investigate, the suspect fled on foot down an alleyway. Officer Bilodeau pursued the suspect and was shot and killed in an exchange of gunfire.

The suspect, who was wounded in the exchange, was arrested by an Officer of the Mount Vernon, New York, Police Department when he arrived at a hospital for treatment. He was charged with murder and convicted after a trial. The suspect was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. He was denied parole in November 2012. He has another parole hearing in November 2016.

Officer Bilodeau is survived by his wife and three children. He had been a member of the New York City Police Department for seven years and had served for two years as a Military Police Officer with the United States Army. He was assigned to the Street Crimes Unit.