John Carroll Koppin was 22 and a Miami Beach Police Department officer when he died on December 26, 1984. He was preparing for his shift at his residence on North Hibiscus Drive and was cleaning his service revolver when it accidentally discharged. A bullet struck his leg, severing the femoral artery; he was taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital but died of severe blood loss.

Koppin was a U.S. Air Force veteran and had served with the Miami Beach Police Department for two years. The death was ruled an accidental discharge; no arrests, suspects, criminal investigations, or litigation followed. Colleagues and the community remembered him as a dedicated and brave officer.

Does anyone have memories of Officer Koppin or details about the department’s response at the time?