On the night of June 16, 1993, Philadelphia Police Officer Robert S. Hayes, 45, was on patrol in West Oak Lane when a traffic stop for a broken taillight at Limekiln Pike and Andrews Avenue turned deadly. Officers saw narcotics in the vehicle; Hayes ordered the passenger, 19-year-old Borgela Philistin, to show his hands and exit. Philistin shoved a door, knocking Hayes off balance, and during a struggle wrestled Officer John Marynowitz’s service weapon away. Philistin fired the gun, wounding both officers. Hayes was shot in the eye and stomach and died at the hospital the next morning, June 17, 1993. Marynowitz was critically injured, shot in the head and shoulder, and survived.

Philistin fled but was captured shortly after and identified by a witness. Hayes, a Vietnam War veteran and seven-year member of the department, was survived by his wife and three sons; a playground at 9800 Roosevelt Blvd. was later named in his memory. Court proceedings resulted in a first-degree murder conviction and a death sentence for Philistin.

If anyone knew Officer Hayes or witnessed the traffic stop that night, please share what you remember.