Patrol Officer Samuel Melvin Stephens

Samuel Melvin Stephens

Patrol Officer Samuel Stephens was shot and killed while conducting a check of a car he believed to be stolen.

He had radioed a description of the car to the dispatch at 1:55 am. When dispatch radioed back that the car was stolen a few minutes later they received no response from Officer Stephens. Another officer was sent to the scene on East Main Street and found Officer Stephens slumped over the steering wheel of his car suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and one to the chest. He was transported to John F. Kennedy Hospital where he died about 8 hours later.

One of two suspects was arrested several days later.

Officer Stephens was a U.S. Army veteran. He had served with the Pahokee Police Department for two years and had previously served as a deputy for the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for three years. He was survived by his two daughters. His body was interred at Port Mayaca Cemetery in Martin County, Florida.