Sergeant Howard J. Plouff was fatally shot on February 23, 2007, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Plouff, 41, a 17-year veteran of the Winston-Salem Police Department, was off-duty and working security at a nightclub during a private party when a disturbance moved outside and several shots were fired. One round struck Plouff; he was taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and died about 21 hours later.

A 22-year-old male suspect was arrested four days after the shooting and charged with first-degree murder. Plouff is survived by his wife and two daughters, and his death has been memorialized by the department and the community. What information do readers have about that night or about Sergeant Plouff’s work as an off-duty officer providing security?