Officer Herman A. Jones, Sr

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JONES, HERMAN
57-W: 19
End of Watch: May 26, 1993
Baltimore City, Maryland, P.D.

At the end of a long, hard shift, Officer Jones stopped at a local carry-out in the 1500 block of North Gay Street. Officer Jones had put on a light jacket over his uniform. While waiting for his order, three suspects, armed with guns, entered the establishment. Their criminal motive was robbery, and the officer became the easy target. After being confronted at gunpoint and wanting to protect his life as well as the life of the store owner, Officer Jones heroically attempted to stop the robbery. Officer Jones pulled his weapon. During the exchange of gunfire, Officer Jones shot two of the three suspects and was mortally wounded. Officer Jones gave his life to protect another.

On this day in Baltimore City Police History, we lost our brother, Police Officer Herman A. Jones, Sr. Officer Jones was shot and killed as he waited for carryout food. Three teenagers entered the restaurant and grabbed Officer Jones, who was off-duty. One of the teenagers drew a.38 caliber handgun and shot Officer Jones twice. Officer Jones was able to return fire, striking two of the suspects. All three suspects were later arrested. Officer Jones had served with the agency for 24 years. His wife and two children have survived him.

While he is no longer with us, he will never be forgotten by us, his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department. RIP, and God bless, as we take this time to remember you on this day.

Here are some additional news reports

Revolver that Killed Officer still missing Police also seek Officer's Weapon
May 29, 1993 | By Michael James, Staff Writer

The.38-caliber revolver used to kill a Baltimore police officer Wednesday is still missing, as is the officer's 9-mm service pistol, which was stolen from him as he lay mortally wounded, police said.

Investigators yesterday continued to search in a weed-infested field at Chester and Gay streets, where one of the youths charged with killing Officer Herman A. Jones Sr. claims to have thrown the 38.

The youth, Herbert Wilson, 17, told detectives he threw the gun into the field after running from the Jung Hing Chinese Carryout in the 1500 block of N. Gay St., police said. Officer Jones was slain during an early morning shootout at the East Baltimore carryout.

City Department of Public Works employees used weed-cutters to cut through the waist-high grass and bushes, and a police K-9 unit was called in, but the gun was not found, police said.

"It could be that it wasn't in fact thrown there, or it may have been picked up by someone else," said Agent Doug Price, a city police spokesman. "We want to find it before it's used in another crime, or in the worst possible scenario, another death."

Police have not been able to determine the whereabouts of the officer's 9-mm Glock service pistol, Agent Price said.

Herbert Wilson, of the 2100 block of E. Biddle St., and the other two suspects—Clifton Price, 17, of the 1600 block of N. Montford St., and Derrick Broadway, 16, of the 1800 block of Aiken St.—are each charged as adults with first-degree murder, armed robbery, and felony use of a handgun.

Officer Jones, 50, a 23-year-old veteran, died in surgery after suffering massive blood loss from gunshot wounds to the pelvis and knee.

When the youths ambushed him, they claimed to be prowling the area looking for someone to rob. He had just finished his 4 p.m. to midnight shift at the Central District and had stopped at the carryout for food.

The officer, on his knees after being pushed to the ground, got off five shots from his pistol and hit both the Wilson and Broadway youths. The Wilson youth was treated and released at Johns Hopkins Hospital for a thigh wound.

Derrick Broadway ran about four blocks before collapsing with wounds to the chest and shoulder. He was under a police guard in serious but stable condition at Hopkins last night.

Police said search warrants served at the boys' homes turned up two bullet-shell casings, a bullet, and several bloody articles of clothing. A copper-jacketed, hollow-point bullet was found on the Broadway youth as he was being treated, police said.

 

'Why him? Why anybody?' A slave officer mourned Jones, remembered as 'a good person'
June 02, 1993|By Joe Nawrozki, Staff Writer

Under a sparkling June sky, the powerful voices of a choir rose outside the Little Ark Missionary Baptist Church in East Baltimore. Hundreds of somber-faced police officers lined the south side of the 1200 block of E. North Ave., and scores of residents pushed closer from the other side of the street as the casket was carried toward the hearse.

The funeral of Officer Herman A. Jones Sr., who was fatally shot May 26 during a robbery in an East Baltimore Chinese carryout, punctuated the neighborhood yesterday with the stirring sounds of a bagpipe, the wails of mourners, and the voices of everyday citizens calling for justice.

Charged as adults with first-degree murder and handgun violations in the officer's death are Herbert "Squeaky" Wilson, 17, of the 2100 block of E. Biddle St.; Clifton "Chip" Price, 17, of the 1600 block of N. Montford Ave.; and Derrick N. Broadway, 16, of the 1800 block of Aiken St.

Along with anguish from Officer Jones' family and fellow officers, there was also a mounting sense of frustration among the residents of the North Avenue community, weary of the violence and fearful for their children's safety.

"They ought to crank up the gas chamber over at the pen for all this killing going on," said an elderly onlooker wearing a straw hat and a bow tie.

"This guy they killed here; he was so tall you could see him walking toward you from blocks away," a woman said, her arms folded and staring at the front of the tiny church. "He had such a nice way with kids and people. Why him, why anybody?"

Officer Jones, 50, was eulogized yesterday in the community where he grew up and received much of his schooling. Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke and City Comptroller Jacqueline McLean spoke highly of the slain officer, while other city dignitaries paid their respects to family members during the four-hour service.

Officer Jones was one of the founders of the Vanguard Justice Society, a group of black city officers, and later served on that organization's board of trustees.

He was an honorably discharged Army veteran and earned an associate of arts degree from the Community College of Baltimore in 1976.

Though dedication to his family and the city was important to Officer Jones, several of his close friends said he was talking more and more about retiring.

"He was always outgoing; he made you laugh," said Robert Lowman, a field supervisor for the state Department of Parole and Probation who grew up with Officer Jones in East Baltimore.

"He was giving more thought to retiring because these young kids today on the street have no value for human life," Mr. Lowman said.

There were people at the funeral who had played stickball with Officer Jones in an alley behind his home on Wolfe Street. Others remembered him as the lanky receiver on City College's Maryland Scholastic Association championship football team in the early 1960s.

Many of his fellow officers praised him as a compassionate officer who loved walking a foot post rather than being detached from the public inside a patrol car.

Others, including Gary Mosby, knew Officer Jones from his regular contact with the public. Mr. Mosby, a baggage handler at the Greyhound-Trailways bus station in the 200 block of W. Fayette St., said he enjoyed their conversations.

"I saw him the day before he was killed," Mr. Mosby said. "He seemed to enjoy talking about his children a lot.

"He was a good person, really," Mr. Mosby said. "Not perfect, but he respected people, and they respected him. He carried himself proudly."

John Pittman, 33, sat on the steps of his home at 1246 E. North Ave. and cursed the murder of the officer and the lack of values among some of today's youths.

"He was a pretty nice guy, and because of that, we taught our children to respect the police," said Mr. Pittman, who works nights as a janitor. "I worry where we're all going. The parents are not taking care of their kids, making them go to school."

Del. Clarence Davis, D-Baltimore, a childhood acquaintance of Officer Jones, said, "Nearly the whole old neighborhood made it today for Herman. Everybody knew him, and it's a big loss because he really cared."

Detective Arnold Adams knew Officer Jones during the slain officer's entire 23-year police career, going from stumbling rookies to veterans. They started working the streets together and grew to be close friends.

"He spent his entire time in the Central District," Detective Adams said. "Loyalty was the big thing for Herman. He knew his city, its history, and the people in it. He always loved City College, where he played ball. I don't think he missed a City-Poly game on Thanksgiving Day. 

 

Three youths charged with slaying officer

May 27, 1993 | By Michael James, Staff Writer

Three teenagers were charged with first-degree murder in the death yesterday of an off-duty Baltimore police officer who was gunned down during a shootout inside a carryout restaurant, police said. Investigators said the youths had already "cased" the Jung Hing Carryout in the 1500 block of N. Gay St. and were waiting for a customer to rob when 50-year-old Officer Herman A. Jones Sr. entered the restaurant. "We believe the officer was the intended victim," police spokesman Sam Ringgold said. "I'm not sure if they knew he was an officer, but they found out very quickly." The 23-year-old veteran had just gotten off his 4-to-midnight shift and was still in his police uniform, partially covered by a blue windbreaker. He was still wearing his bulletproof vest, police said. Two youths were in the carryout pretending to read a wall menu when they grabbed the officer and pushed him into a corner, police said. The third youth then entered the carryout and pointed a.38-caliber pistol at Officer Jones, police said. Either accidentally or in an attempt to distract the youths, the officer dropped several personal items, including his key rings, money clip, a pen knife, and two packs of Tic-Tacs, police said. When the youths began picking them up, Officer Jones pulled out his gun. In an exchange of gunfire, Officer Jones shot two of his assailants and was himself shot twice. One bullet struck his left knee, and another entered his left thigh, ripped through his femoral artery, and came out of his right hip, police said. The officer got off five shots before being felled, police said.

As the mortally wounded man lay on the ground, one of the youths took Officer Jones' 9-mm Glock pistol and ran from the PTC store with the other two youths, police said. The officer died two hours later in surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Charged yesterday as adults with murder and handgun violations were Herbert "Squeaky" Wilson, 17, of the 2100 block of E. Biddle St.; Clifton "Chip" Price, 17, of the 1600 block of N. Montford Ave.; and Derrick N. Broadway, 16, of the 1800 block of Aiken St. The Broadway youth was arrested after police followed a trail of blood for four blocks. The Wilson and Price youths were arrested at their homes about 6 a.m. yesterday, police said. They were being held on no bail in the Eastern District. Police said the Wilson youth was thought to have been the shooter. They said he was shot in the right thigh and treated and released at Hopkins. Derrick Broadway, shot in the shoulder and upper chest, was in stable condition at Hopkins, police said. Detectives interviewed Herbert Wilson and Clifton Price, who told them the three had been "prowling the streets looking for victims, had cased a nearby pizza shop, and then noticed Officer Jones... and decided to rob [him]," a police report said.

Officer Jones, a Central District officer who walked foot patrols in an increasingly heavy crime area of downtown, grew up in East Baltimore and often stopped by the Jung Hing carryout in his old neighborhood, family and friends said. "That was one of his favorite stops after work," said Clinton Stewart, 50, a fellow Central District officer and a friend who had known Officer Jones for 23 years. "He worked in one of the roughest areas of town, but this happened after work, when he went to his old neighborhood to just get something to eat." Officer Stewart, a member of the Vanguard Justice Society Inc., which represents about 550 black officers, said Officer Jones was a founding member of the group in 1971. A former football player at Baltimore City College, Officer Jones was a soft-spoken man who spent most of his spare time either at home or on an occasional fishing trip, said his wife of 26 years, Linda Jones. The couple lived in the Hamilton section of northeast Baltimore. Both their children are grown. "He was a quiet kind of guy; he really was," she said. "In the last three years, he said he was considering retiring. It might have been because it was getting rough [on the street], but those are my words, not his. He was quiet about that." Officer Jones regularly walked his beat around Eutaw and Howard streets downtown, making regular contact with merchants who, he said recently, were growing more and more fearful of crime. "He preferred the street. He was the type of policeman they're trying to model neighborhood policing after," Officer Stewart said. "It was important to him to walk his beat. He grew up here. He was part of the Baltimore community." Officer Jones is Baltimore's 134th homicide victim of 1993, compared with 118 at this time last year, the city's worst year ever for murder.

Two teens plead guilty to police officer's murder

January 07, 1994|By Jay Apperson | Jay Apperson,Staff Writer

Two East Baltimore teenagers each could be sentenced to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty yesterday to participating in the murder of an off-duty city police officer last May.

Derrick N. Broadway and Clifton "Chip" Price, both 17, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, attempted armed robbery and use of a handgun in a crime of violence in connection with the May 26, 1993, shooting death of Baltimore police Officer Herman A. Jones Sr.

Officer Jones, 50, was killed when he stopped at a Chinese food carryout in East Baltimore after completing a 4 p.m.-to-midnight shift.

Under the terms of the plea agreement, neither teenager will be sentenced to more than 30 years, the maximum, for second-degree murder and 20 years, to be served consecutively, for attempted armed robbery. For the handgun violations, each would receive a five-year, no-parole sentence to be served concurrently.

As part of the plea bargain, the teenagers agreed to testify against 18-year-old Herbert "Squeaky" Wilson, who allegedly fired the shots. In return, prosecutors dropped felony murder charges, which carry life sentences, against Broadway and Price.

Mr. Wilson is scheduled to stand trial on first-degree murder and related charges on Thursday. Broadway and Price are to be sentenced on Feb. 24 by Judge Richard T. Rombro.

Both teenagers stood with heads bowed as Bridget Shepherd, an assistant public defender representing Price, explained to them that Maryland law holds that those who participate in a crime such as an attempted robbery can be held responsible for the outcome, even if they didn't actually fire any shots.

Broadway, who was 16 when Officer Jones was killed, appeared to have recovered from two shots to the chest sustained when Officer Jones exchanged shots with his would-be robbers.

An autopsy showed that the officer was shot in the thigh and knee and bled to death.

In presenting a statement of facts to the court, prosecutor Mark P. Cohen began by saying the three teenagers were drinking together in a house in East Baltimore the night of the shooting when they decided to commit a robbery. He said they obtained a.38-caliber revolver from another man and headed to a pizza carryout but found no one to rob. From there, they went to the Jung Hing Chinese Carryout in the 1500 block of N. Gay St., where they crossed paths with Officer Jones, Mr. Cohen said.

The prosecutor said Mr. Wilson announced a robbery and ordered the officer to his knees, but Officer Jones reached for his gun, and the shoot-out began. Mr. Wilson was shot in the thigh.

The teenagers fled—with his chest wounds, Broadway made it only about four blocks before collapsing—and the revolver was given to a man with the street name "Dirty Butt Cheeks," Mr. Cohen said. That gun was later recovered, and ballistics tests linked it to the bullets taken from Officer Jones' body.

Ms. Shepherd, the defense lawyer, said that the men were not only drinking but were smoking marijuana before the botched robbery. She also said the officer's 9-mm semiautomatic service weapon, which has never been recovered, was probably stolen by "bystanders." Alexander R. Martick, a lawyer representing Broadway, said his client was not aware that the victim, who was wearing a windbreaker over his uniform, was a police officer. Mr. Martick also said Broadway at first regarded the discussed plans to go out and rob someone as "a joke." Ms. Shepherd said, "As far as I know, it was their first effort, and they just happened to hit someone who was armed."

When the events surrounding the shooting were described in court, Karen Smith, the slain officer's niece, began to dab at her tears. Later, she said, "Everybody loses. We've lost an uncle, and society has lost two more young men."

In that vein, the officer's sister, Grace Neal, said, "They get with the wrong crowd. I feel sorry for their mothers today, and I feel sorry for me because I lost my brother."

After the hearing, the officer's relatives and Broadway's mother exchanged condolences.

Broadway's mother could be heard telling the officer's relatives, "I grieve for Officer Jones and this whole situation."

Ms. Smith replied, "I know you do." 

Murder defense: Intent was to scare

January 25, 1994|By Jay Apperson | Jay Apperson,Staff Writer

A teenager charged as the gunman in last May's fatal shooting of an off-duty Baltimore police officer was merely trying to scare the officer, not rob him, the defendant's lawyer told a Baltimore Circuit Court jury yesterday.

"That was stupid. That was naive. But it's not felony murder," defense lawyer M. Brooke Murdock said at the start of Herbert "Squeaky" Wilson's trial.

Officer Herman A. Jones Sr., 50, was killed in a shootout early on May 26, 1993, in a Chinese food carryout in East Baltimore. Two other teenagers who pleaded guilty this month to second-degree murder and other charges could get 50 years in prison.

Prosecutor Mark Cohen told the jury yesterday that ballistics tests linked a bullet recovered from Officer Jones' leg to a.38-caliber revolver that Mr. Wilson, 18, acquired the night of the shooting. He said Mr. Wilson and his cohorts targeted the off-duty police officer, who was wearing a windbreaker over his uniform.

The prosecutor then told the jury that under the state's felony murder law, the alleged gunman is guilty of first-degree murder because the victim was killed during the commission of a felony—an attempted robbery.

Ms. Murdock told the jury that Mr. Wilson might be guilty of carrying a gun but that he is not guilty of murder. She said Officer Jones' death was "a story of boys—immature, stupid, naive boys who are attracted to the glamour of guns."

She noted that the bullet that killed Officer Jones by piercing an artery near his hip has not been recovered, and she suggested that one of the two others present might have used the officer's 9-mm gun to fire the fatal shot. Seeking to delay the start of the trial, Ms. Murdock said her client was having difficulty understanding the proceedings. She said Mr. Wilson is mildly retarded and has an IQ of 74.

Judge Richard T. Rombro refused to delay the trial, but he ordered court medical officials to examine Mr. Wilson today to determine whether he is competent to stand trial.

Youth convicted of murder in off-duty policeman's death

February 03, 1994|By Jay Apperson | Jay Apperson,Sun Staff Writer

A teenager named by authorities as the gunman in last May's fatal shooting of an off-duty Baltimore police officer was convicted yesterday of first-degree felony murder.

A Baltimore Circuit Court jury deliberated for two hours before finding Herbert "Squeaky" Wilson of the 2100 block of E. Biddle St. guilty on all charges in the murder of Officer Herman A. Jones Sr. Officer Jones, 50, was killed in a shootout in a Chinese food carryout in East Baltimore.

Wilson, who was also convicted of using a handgun in a violent crime, attempted armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, could receive prison terms totaling life plus 40 years. He is to be sentenced on March 10 by Judge Richard T. Rombro.

During closing arguments yesterday, prosecutor Mark P. Cohen motioned toward Wilson and said, "He took the life of a good man who did nothing other than stop off and get something to eat after eight hours of policing our streets and neighborhoods. [Officer Jones] did not deserve to die."

Wilson, 18, became the third East Baltimore teenager to be convicted in the killing. Derrick N. Broadway and Clifton "Chip" Price, both 17, could receive sentences totaling up to 50 years each in prison after pleading guilty last month to second-degree murder and other charges. The teenagers, who fulfilled the terms of their plea agreements by testifying against Wilson, are to be sentenced on Feb. 24.

Defense attorney M. Brooke Murdock argued yesterday that Broadway fired the shot that killed the officer—after Wilson had fled the carryout. Wilson testified that he and his friends were trying to scare their victim, not rob him, leading Ms. Murdock to argue that Wilson was guilty of second-degree murder rather than the more serious first-degree murder charge.

Ms. Murdock acknowledged that Wilson obtained a.38 caliber revolver the night of the shooting; a slug taken from the officer's knee was linked by ballistic tests to that gun. But the bullet that apparently killed Officer Jones by severing an artery was not recovered, and the defense lawyer suggested Broadway used the officer's 9mm semiautomatic handgun to fire that bullet.

During the trial, Ms. Murdock presented a witness who claimed that he had shared a jail cell with Broadway and that the teenager had admitted killing the officer.

Mr. Cohen scoffed at the notion that the teenagers were not out to commit robbery. He maintained that Wilson fired the fatal shot, but added that it didn't matter who fired the shot because Wilson participated in the attempted armed robbery and was therefore guilty of felony murder.

Under Maryland law, anyone who participates in a felony in which a person is killed is guilty of first-degree murder.

After the jury announced its verdict, the officer's widow, Linda Jones, wept. Mrs. Jones remarked, "These have been the worst two weeks of our lives, accompanied by her daughter and her sister-in-law. We just want to get on with our lives."

Youth convicted of murder in off-duty policeman's death

February 03, 1994|By Jay Apperson | Jay Apperson,Sun Staff Writer

A teenager named by authorities as the gunman in last May's fatal shooting of an off-duty Baltimore police officer was convicted yesterday of first-degree felony murder.

A Baltimore Circuit Court jury deliberated for two hours before finding Herbert "Squeaky" Wilson of the 2100 block of E. Biddle St. guilty on all charges in the murder of Officer Herman A. Jones Sr. Officer Jones, 50, was killed in a shootout in a Chinese food carryout in East Baltimore.

Wilson, who was also convicted of using a handgun in a violent crime, attempted armed robbery, and conspiracy to commit armed robbery, could receive prison terms totaling life plus 40 years. He is to be sentenced on March 10 by Judge Richard T. Rombro.

During closing arguments yesterday, prosecutor Mark P. Cohen motioned toward Wilson and said, "He took the life of a good man who did nothing other than stop off and get something to eat after eight hours of policing our streets and neighborhoods. [Officer Jones] did not deserve to die."

Wilson, 18, became the third East Baltimore teenager to be convicted in the killing. Derrick N. Broadway and Clifton "Chip" Price, both 17, could receive sentences totaling up to 50 years each in prison after pleading guilty last month to second-degree murder and other charges. The teenagers, who fulfilled the terms of their plea agreements by testifying against Wilson, are to be sentenced on Feb. 24.

Defense attorney M. Brooke Murdock argued yesterday that Broadway fired the shot that killed the officer—after Wilson had fled the carryout. Wilson testified that he and his friends were trying to scare their victim, not rob him, leading Ms. Murdock to argue that Wilson was guilty of second-degree murder rather than the more serious first-degree murder charge.

Ms. Murdock acknowledged that Wilson obtained a.38 caliber revolver the night of the shooting; a slug taken from the officer's knee was linked by ballistic tests to that gun. But the bullet that apparently killed Officer Jones by severing an artery was not recovered, and the defense lawyer suggested Broadway used the officer's 9mm semiautomatic handgun to fire that bullet.

During the trial, Ms. Murdock presented a witness who claimed that he had shared a jail cell with Broadway and that the teenager had admitted killing the officer.

Mr. Cohen scoffed at the notion that the teenagers were not out to commit robbery. He maintained that Wilson fired the fatal shot, but added that it didn't matter who fired the shot because Wilson participated in the attempted armed robbery and was therefore guilty of felony murder.

Under Maryland law, anyone who participates in a felony in which a person is killed is guilty of first-degree murder.

After the jury announced its verdict, the officer's widow, Linda Jones, wept. Accompanied by her daughter and her sister-in-law, Mrs. Jones said, "This has been the worst two weeks of our lives. We just want to get on with our lives."

6 Fallen Heroes Remembered

May 7, 1994 | By Ed Brandt | Ed Brandt,Sun Staff Writer

On a cool, breezy day perfect for remembrance, Maryland's fallen heroes were honored in an emotional ceremony yesterday at Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens in Timonium.

Among the six police officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty during the past year was Baltimore Officer Herman A. Jones, 50, who was shot dead in East Baltimore last May in a confrontation with three teenagers who tried to rob him when he stopped at a carryout on his way home from work.

One teenager is serving a life sentence plus 20 years. The other two each got 50 years in prison.

"Today is like the day of his funeral," his widow, Linda, said, "and I feel very tense, but it's very nice." She was accompanied at the ceremony by her daughter, sister, and other relatives and friends.

Others who have died in the line of duty since last May were:

* William W. Overman Jr., 45, of the Herald Harbor Volunteer Fire Co., who died of a heart attack while responding to a call.

* Deputy Chief Michael J. Wilcom Jr., 34, of the New Market District Volunteer and Rescue Company, who died of a heart attack while responding to the third of three fires in one afternoon.

* Mark M. Filer, 31, of the Montgomery County Police Department, was killed in a collision while on duty.

* James E. Walch, 30, is a Montgomery County police officer who was killed when his police car skidded on ice and hit a utility pole while he was pursuing a stolen Jeep driven by a 13-year-old boy.

* James Bagleo, 26, of the Prince George's County Police Department, struck a utility pole while responding to a call. He was promoted posthumously to the rank of sergeant.

Many Maryland police and fire agencies sent uniformed delegations to the ceremony, which opened with a colorful procession of flag-carrying honor guards led by the John F. Nicoll Pipe Band of Baltimore County.

About 700 people, including many public officials, attended the ceremony under a 100-by-60-foot white canopy set up in front of the Fallen Heroes Memorial, which has a bronze relief of a police officer and a firefighter carrying a little girl.

Small replicas of the Fallen Heroes Memorial were presented to the families of the six men.

In 1976, the late John W. Armiger Sr. set aside 330 burial spaces in the cemetery, free of charge, for Maryland law enforcement officers and firefighters, emergency medical and rescue officers, and correctional officers who die in the line of duty.

His son, John Armiger Jr., is president of Dulaney Valley Memorial Gardens.