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| Detective Robert James Clark II
Cleveland Police Department
Ohio
End of Watch: Wednesday, July 1, 1998 Biographical Info
Age: 36
Tour of Duty: 7 years
Badge Number: 545 Incident Details
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: Wednesday, July 1, 1998
Weapon Used: Handgun; 9 mm
Suspect Info: Shot and killed Officer Clark was shot and killed as he and his partner were attempting to question a suspected drug dealer. Both officers were on their way to meet with state liquor agents for an undercover operation when the spotted what they suspected was a drug deal in a heavy narcotics area. The suspect they stopped to talk to fled into a building and was caught by the officers on the top of a staircase.
After the officers found drugs on the suspect he pushed them both down the staircase and opened fire with a 9 mm handgun. Officer Clark was struck three times in the chest and once in the neck. He had taken his vest off approximately 15 minutes before the incident so that he would not be recognized during the undercover assignment.
A third officer who arrived returned fire and shot the suspect six times, killing him. The suspect had been released from custody earlier in the day because of a failed extradition, despite four felony warrants in Florida. Neither of the other two officers were injured.
Officer Clark had requested Badge #545 in memory of great-grandfather, Patrolman George Shearer, a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, police officer who was killed in a gun battle on May 12, 1914. Officer Clark is survived by his wife and three young children. Related Line of Duty Deaths | |
