Officer Robert Louis Smith, 27, was shot and killed on January 15, 1987, in Charlotte, North Carolina, while off-duty. He had been a Charlotte Police Department officer for seven years. Responding to a report of a man firing a gun into a condo complex, Smith located the suspect and shined his flashlight on him; the suspect then opened fire with a rifle, striking Smith four times. Other officers returned fire, wounding the suspect. The shooter, a 32-year-old man, was taken into custody, convicted of the murder, and later sentenced to life in prison.

Officer Smith was survived by his wife, mother, sister, and two brothers. His death was widely described as a tragic loss for the community and the law enforcement family that remembered him as dedicated and brave. Does anyone have memories of Officer Smith or information about the incident to share?