Patrolman Stephen M. Kovach, 31, was shot and killed while on duty in Cleveland on the night of March 11, 1984. He and his partner Patrolman Dave Rutt had responded to a hit-and-run; the driver they pursued had just committed two armed robberies and was driving a stolen car. The driver, identified as Charles Jackson Jr., exited the vehicle and opened fire with a .38 caliber handgun. Rutt was struck in the chest and returned fire, wounding Jackson. As Kovach moved to assist his partner, Jackson shot Kovach twice in the neck. Despite fatal wounds, Kovach continued to fire and killed Jackson.

Kovach had served seven years with the Cleveland Division of Police and ten years in law enforcement overall. He was survived by his sister, Diane Chilletz. The shooting occurred at East 40th and Cedar Streets; Jackson was pronounced dead at the scene and Rutt was taken to St. Vincent Charity Hospital in critical condition but later recovered. Kovach’s name is inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.

Did anyone in Cleveland at the time witness the incident or have additional details about the sequence of events at East 40th and Cedar Streets?