Retired New Orleans Police Officer Alva Ray Simmons, 53, died at his home on July 10, 2004. His death was described as the long-term consequence of wounds suffered nearly two decades earlier. On March 18, 1985, while responding to a burglary in the Carrollton area, Simmons—an 11-year NOPD veteran and Vietnam War Air Force veteran—was shot inside a Short Street residence. A .357 revolver round struck his chin, damaging a vocal cord and severing an artery.

After a month in hospital he was discharged, but within weeks he became dizzy and slipped into a coma. He remained unconscious at home for 19 years, cared for by his family, until his death. The person who shot him was arrested and later received a 100-year prison sentence. Simmons is survived by his wife and two sons.