On September 29, 1983, in the Pelham Bay section of the Bronx, Sergeant Joseph McCormack, 40, of the NYPD Emergency Service Unit was killed during a standoff on Mulford Avenue. An emotionally disturbed man who had been denied a visit with his young son had barricaded himself inside a house and was armed with a shotgun. Officers established a perimeter and negotiators attempted to resolve the situation over nearly four hours while McCormack took a tactical position in the rear yard.

At about 2:45 p.m. the suspect emerged from the rear of the house and fired a single shotgun blast that struck McCormack in the armpit, an area not covered by his protective vest; the wound proved fatal. Other officers returned fire and killed the shooter. McCormack, a 15-year veteran, was survived by his wife and three children and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on June 13, 1984. Two of his sons later joined the NYPD Emergency Services Unit.

If anyone knew Sergeant McCormack or has memories of that day in Pelham Bay, please share information or recollections.