On a Friday afternoon, February 5, 1999, 26-year-old Detroit Police Department Officer Richard Daniel Scalf was killed during an undercover prostitution sting at Chene and Hendrie Streets. A female decoy officer had signaled for backup after being propositioned; Officer Scalf and his partner, Officer Diaz Graves, moved in to make an arrest. When they approached the truck, the passenger, identified as Darryl Paul Gates, produced a handgun and opened fire.

Officer Scalf exchanged gunfire and was struck in the hand, dropping his service weapon. As he bent to retrieve it, another round passed through a gap in his bulletproof vest and hit his back; he later died at a local hospital. Other officers returned fire and killed Gates at the scene. Officer Graves survived despite sustaining three gunshot wounds to the head, chest, and abdomen. The truck driver was detained briefly and released when investigators determined he was not involved.

Anyone who was in that neighborhood that afternoon or who remembers details about the operation is asked to share information that might add to the record.