Sergeant James Francis Knight

James Francis Knight

Sergeant James Knight was shot and killed when he and another officer attempted to stop a wrong-way vehicle in the 400 block of 12th Street.

As Sergeant Knight stepped from his car, the occupants of the other vehicle opened fire, striking him in the head. The other officer returned fire. It was later determined that the occupants of the car had just been involved in a robbery of silk valued at $40,000.

Six men were later apprehended. All six were convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 30 years. On January 23, 1933, all six were awarded new trials and released on bail when the Errors Court ruled they were wrongly convicted. One was shot and killed by an unknown assailant on October 25, 1934.

Sergeant Knight was survived by his wife and two daughters.