On a September evening in 1979, 39-year-old New York City Police Officer Edwin A. Fogel was killed while on patrol in Manhattan. He and his partner stopped a vehicle on the Harlem River Drive and, after obtaining the driver’s information, returned to their patrol car to run a check. The driver fled, led officers on a chase that ended just south of the George Washington Bridge, and opened fire when officers approached the crashed car. Officer Fogel was fatally wounded and his partner injured.

The shooter, described as a career criminal who had spent more than 27 years in prison and was on parole for a prior murder, wounded the officers, stole their patrol car and fled, abandoning it about two miles away. Civilians who witnessed the events followed him and led police to his capture. He escaped Riker’s Island before trial but was recaptured, convicted of murder and sentenced to 50 years; he died in prison on October 11, 1990. Officer Fogel was posthumously awarded the NYPD Medal of Honor and was survived by his wife and two children.

If anyone knew Officer Fogel or witnessed the events that night, please share what can help preserve his memory and the details of the case.