Officer Vincent J. Adolfo

 

Officer Vincent J. Adolfo 
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Officer Vincent Adolfo Murdered

At approximately 5:30 PM Monday, November 18, 1985, Eastern District Officer Vincent J. Adolfo, was operating his marked police vehicle when he saw an automobile headed eastbound on Biddle Street. A routine check of it's license plate, via the police communication system, revealed the vehicle as stolen. The stop of that vehicle lead to the tragic end our Brother's life. We will never let his sacrifice be forgotten.

Noting that there were four occupants in the vehicle, he notified other Eastern District units of its location and direction. Two other marked units responded and began heading westbound one Biddle Street. All police vehicles displayed their flashing blue emergency lights. The suspect vehicle slowed and the driver bailed out leaving the vehicle to collide head-on with oncoming police units. While an Office secured the three passengers of the vehicle, Officer Adolfo chased the suspect North from Biddle Street into a cluttered thoroughfare which is called Iron Alley. 

He caught the suspect in the 1200 block of Iron Alley and attempted to place the man against the wall. Officer Vincent Adolfo attempted to place the suspect’s right hand behind him while the suspect grabbed a traffic sign pole, resisting the arrest attempt. At this time, according to witnesses, the suspect lunged and pushed the officer, causing him to lose his balance. As Officer Vincent Adolfo struggled to regain his balance, the suspect pulled a gun from his waist band and fired, striking Officer Vincent Adolfo in the chest. The officer struggled and staggered several feet north as a suspect fired a second time, striking him in the back. Other Eastern District Officers, hearing the gunshots, ran into the dark alley to find the 25 year old officer crumpled on the ground, mortally wounded.

Fellow officers immediately instituted CPR procedures and were relieved after a few minutes by paramedics from Baltimore City Fire Department. As they attempted to stabilize the wounded officer, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital, just a few blocks away, were alerted to the nature and seriousness of the injuries coming in. Officer Vincent Adolfo arrived in the professional medical efforts to retain his life both began and ended within a short time of his arrival. The injury to his heart was massive and irreversible. The surgeon, sadly, pronounced him dead at 6:00 o’clock PM.

Investigating officers and detectives quickly ascertained the end entity of the suspect and efforts to apprehend him began. As word of what had happened spread, reports of sightings of the suspect came into the criminal investigation division. During the days that followed, news accounts on television and in the newspapers repeated praise for the young officer. He was dedicated, he cared, and he really loved his job. Reports of specific instances in which Officer Adolfo went out of his way to help people were legion.

He was born not too many blocks from where he gave his life. He knew the city, its people and its problems. That’s why became police officer in the city, instead of pursuing other careers which are open to bright young men and women. Friday, November 22nd, was rainy, and gray as members of the Baltimore Police Department along with numerous local, state and Federal law enforcement agencies arrived for the funeral services at Our Lady of Fatima Roman Catholic Church on East Pratt Street.

Inside the church, a Priest talked about the sacrifices that were made by Officer Vincent Adolfo and what it meant. Shooting, reassuring words reflected his faith, his dedication to the profession he had selected. Although only 25 years of age, his example can be followed by every man and woman in law enforcement. His time of service to the citizens of his favorite committee was brief, but that service was exemplary.  The sad ride to Oaklawn Cemetery was observed by concerned citizens who lined them near the entire length of the funeral procession route. Services at the graveside were brief. Then Officer Vincent J. Adolfo was buried.

Often at the funeral of a hero, time and time again we hear the same lines, and when it come's to Baltimore Police, we hear them all to often. But in the case of a Vince Adolfo, as we heard those lines, "It's not how an Officer dies that makes him a hero; It's how that Officer lived!" And everyone that knew him, knew Vince Adolfo was a hero for the Citizens of Baltimore long before he died for them. May he rest in peace, and may God bless him, and his family. 

While on patrol the evening of November 18, 1985 at approximately 5:20 p.m., Officer Vincent Adolpho noticed a new Cadillac with a missing window covered with plastic. In addition to the driver, the vehicle contained three other occupants. The officer, following a routine stolen car inquiry, learned that the car had been stolen. He broadcast a description of the occupants of the car and noted that the driver was "not breaking any laws right now." Two officers in separate patrol cars, responding to Officer Adolpho's request for back-up, attempted to block the path of the on-coming Cadillac. Upon nearing the road-block, the driver, later identified as Hunt, jumped out of the car while it was still moving and ran up a nearby alley. The Cadillac then struck one of the parked patrol cars and stopped; an officer detained the three passengers who were still in the car. Officer Adolpho pursued Hunt into the alley. Upon apprehending him, the officer positioned him against a wall and tried to handcuff Hunt. Hunt pushed away, knocking the officer off balance. Hunt then pulled a .357 Magnum from his jacket and shot Officer Adolpho in the chest at close range. Within seconds, as the officer reeled from the first shot, Hunt shot him again, this time in the back. Hunt fled the scene of the crime. Officer Adolpho was pronounced dead at the hospital at 6 p.m. In the meantime, Hunt had called his friend, Angelo Williams, and asked him to keep the gun for him, saying that he had just shot a policeman. Hunt and his girl friend, Deborah Powell, then went to his sister's house, only to leave when a television broadcast indicated that Hunt was being sought in connection with the murder. Hunt's sister later testified at trial that Hunt had seemed fine at the time, although Ms. Powell said that Hunt had been taking drugs earlier that afternoon and appeared "high" when he had left her. The next day, Hunt and Powell drove to Camden, New Jersey. En route, Hunt admitted to Powell that he had shot the policeman. Hunt then boarded a bus to Santa Monica, California, leaving Powell behind. He was apprehended at a Tulsa, Oklahoma bus station five days later.

In addition to the testimony of both Williams and Powell that Hunt admitted shooting the officer, a ballistics expert testified that the bullets removed from Officer Adolpho's body matched the gun later recovered from Williams's place.

 

Courtesy Derek Adolfo 

 

A city homicide detective recalls there were evening when Vincent Adolfo was slain beside this wall.

In Baltimore’s drug underworld, a 357 caliber magnum revolver is highly prized as an enforcer and symbol power the stall armor Ruger Blackhawk purchased legally for self-defense by business and passed into the brutal on the world in the summer of 1985 when the pistol was stolen from them and vehicle by the fall of the formidable handgun, surreal number 32-96249, was in the hands of an East Baltimore used known by police to associate with drug dealers. Two other persons of business to block all before derived at a deadly rendezvous that November –the murder of a city police officer.  Two interviews, police reports and court reports, the even son reconstructed the history of the movements of a number 32-96249. If the story contradicts the belief that criminals rely on cheap, small Keller handguns known as Saturday night specials.

Law enforcement officials say drug dealers increasingly are arming themselves with magnum’s, given the dealer a potential edge and firepower during world one confrontations with police officers. In October 1985 the East Baltimore youth sold or gave the Blackhawks to Darin Moore, 19. According to police was involved in drug trafficking in the vicinity of Kia court in East Baltimore. Getting a 3 to 2 79 was probably the step ball in the drug world for Darin Moore says John Tewey a homicide detective. Like many other drug trafficking in the city more kept of the gun tucked into his waistband. Just enough show this to anyone who carried to test more would know of the firepower he was carrying.

On November 5, 1985 more encountered someone who was faster on a draw, he lost a gun fight, like in the wld wild west, and as he lay dead on the street, a young gun by the name Flint Gregory Hunt, would walk off with Moore’s, gun. It would be long before that gun like in an episode of Twilight zone would lead to more trouble, and two more deaths and, sadly one of those deaths was the death if of a Baltimore Police Officer, a and the other would take more than ten years, but his day would come, and Flint Gregory Hunt himself, would be put down like an animal for senselessly taking a life of if man who’s only true beef with Hunt, was that Hunt didn’t want to go to jail, and it was this man’s an business to put people like Hunt away. Something Officer Vincent Adolfo wouldn’t himself get to see, but he did it…, he freed the streets of evil, evil in the form of a man named Flint Gregory Hunt, as on July 2^nd 1997 Flint Gregory Hunt was executed by lethal injection at the Maryland State Penitentiary. Vincent Adolfo will never be fogoten by his brothers and sisters and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department, as he was a hero, and even in his passing he managed to testify in court, and free the streets of a true animal that had little respect for human life, and is where he now belongs. 

 

Hunt was executed by lethal injection

 

Normally on a dedication page of one of our fallen heroes we would do all we could to leave the suspect off the page. But in this case we feel it might be important to include at least some information about the suspect, Flint Gregory Hunt. We all know he is the suspect that bailed from a stolen car ran into an alley in the Eastern District on 18 Nov 1985. We also know that when caught he put up a struggle, and when he couldn't break free, he resorted to pulling a gun and shooting his capturer, then even when he had, now had enough time to get away, this coward, would stand over a real hero and shoot him in the back. That is a coward no matter how you look at it. Something’s that may not be 100% known, about Hunt; he was captured out of state just after five days after his escape. He was found in a bus station in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he was arrested and brought back to Baltimore. Flint Gregory Hunt would eventually be convicted; not once; but twice. After he appealed the 1^st conviction, he was granted a second trial and was convicted that time too. Further information that may not be too well known about this coward but could only be expected from someone of his limited character. While in the penitentiary he was housed on the 3^rd floor, south wing (A section used to house inmates for disciplinary problems). When asked, a spokesperson for the Maryland department of corrections, why he was in this unit, they simply said, “Hunt was in the specialized unit used to punish inmates for disciplinary issues, and that while the state is not allowed to give details of what landed him in the solitary confinement, of the “Disciplinary Unit” based on his becoming involved in a fight with an inmate, or inmates that sent him to Johns Hopkins for a trauma injuries, caused by stab wounds to his upper body, arms, hands, neck and face resulting from someone, or a group of people that he had words with while they were taking the men from their cells to shower. During the eleven years on Death Row, Hunt had been involved in numerous arguments, fights, and other disciplinary issues that lead to his having been stabbed, beaten and punished as much as one would expect someone with his lack of obedience toward the laws, and his ability to obey them. On July 2^nd 1997, it all ended for Hunt, he will not spend another day in the “Disciplinary Unit” not another hour in solitary confinement, he’ll never get into another fight, never be stabbed again, no chance for another appeal, another trial, or a chance to bring harm to anyone else family as on July 2^nd 1997 Flint Gregory Hunt was executed by lethal injection at the Maryland State Penitentiary, he was 38 years old when his disobedient life was ended.

Rest In Peace Brother
You will not be Forgotten
We Wouldn't Allow It

On this day in Baltimore Police History 18 November 1985; we lost our brother, Police Officer Vincent J. Adolfo to Gunfire based on the following:

At approximately 5:30 PM on Monday, November 18, 1985, Eastern District Officer Vincent J. Adolfo, was operating his marked police vehicle when he saw an automobile headed eastbound on Biddle Street. Running a routine check of its license plate, via police communications, revealed the vehicle was stolen. Noting there were four occupants in the vehicle, he notified other Eastern units of its location and direction of travel. Two more marked units responded and began heading westbound one Biddle Street. All of the police vehicles displayed their flashing blue emergency lights (In the 80’s our cars only had flashing blue lights). The suspect vehicle slowed but never came to a complete stop before the driver bailed-out, leaving the moving vehicle to collide into head-on traffic including oncoming civilian and police vehicles. While Officers secured the three passengers of the vehicle, Officer Adolfo gave chased to the driver, North from Biddle Street into a cluttered thoroughfare called, “Iron Alley”.

Vince caught up to the suspect in the 1200 block of Iron Alley and attempted to place him against the wall. As Officer Adolfo attempted to place the suspect’s right hand behind him, the suspect grabbed a nearby traffic sign pole, used it for leverage to pull away from Officer Adolfo, twisting in such a way as to resist the arrest. At this time, according to witnesses, the suspect then turned and lunged at the officer, pushing him backwards, causing him to trip over the debris on the ground in Iron Alley, losing his balance Officer Adolfo fell to the ground.

As Officer Vincent Adolfo struggled to regain his balance, the suspect pulled a gun from his waist band, turned and fired, striking Officer Vincent Adolfo in the chest. Officer Adolfo then struggled, staggering several feet north, as the suspect fired a second round, striking him in the back.

Other Eastern District Officers, heard the gunshots and ran into the alley to find their 25 year old side partner crumpled to the ground, mortally wounded with two gunshots, one to the chest, and one to his back.

Fellow officers immediately instituted CPR procedures, and were relieved after a few minutes by paramedics from the Baltimore City Fire Department. As they attempted to stabilize the wounded officer, doctors at Johns Hopkins Hospital, just a few blocks away, were alerted as to the nature, and seriousness of the injuries coming in, knowing it was a police officer, they were prepared to help him in any way they could.

Officer Vincent Adolfo arrived at Johns Hopkins Hospital to the waiting hands of a trauma team where every effort of that medical team was used in an attempt to retain the life of our brother. As quickly as their efforts began, they ended. The injury to his heart was massive, and irreversible. Sadly, the surgeon, pronounced Vince dead at 6:00 o’clock PM.

Investigating officers and detectives quickly ascertained the identity of the suspect and efforts to apprehend him began. As word of what had happened spread, reports of sightings of the suspect came into the CID - Criminal Investigation Division. During the days that followed, news accounts on television, and in the newspapers repeated praise for young officer Adolfo. He was dedicated, caring, and he loved his job. Reports of specific instances in which Officer Adolfo went out of his way to help people were legend.

He was born not too many blocks from where he gave his life. He knew the city, its people and its problems. That’s why he became police officer, at the time of his death he was living in the county, he could have easily become a county officer, but Vince, wanted to give back to the community he grew up in, and he became police in the city, the city he loved. Instead of pursuing other careers which were open to bright young men, young men with his intelligence, and his character, Vince held a strong belief that it was his mission to serve as an officer in Baltimore.

Friday, November 22nd 1985, was rainy, it was cold and it was gray… members of the Baltimore Police Department, his brothers and sisters, along with numerous local, state and Federal law enforcement agencies arrived for his funeral services at Our Lady of Fatima; a Roman Catholic Church on East Pratt Street.

Inside the church, the Priest talked about the sacrifices that were made by Officer Adolfo and what it meant. With reassuring words to all in attendance, reflecting his faith, his dedication to his selected profession. Although only 25 years of age, his example can be followed by every man, and every woman in law enforcement. His time of service to the citizens of his favorite committee was brief, but exemplary. We have all heard the saying, “It is not how ones dies that makes them a hero; but how they lived!” In that sense Vince was a hero, he was proud to a Baltimore Police Officer, it made him feel complete, the truth of the matter was, the department was more complete to have an Officer like Vince to wear it’s badge, the officer’s that were lucky enough to have Vince in their district, on their shift, or in their squad were the lucky ones… because having Vince in their lives, made them better police too. Vince became more complete when he wore the badge, and he made them around him more complete also, police work is not a competition, but ask anyone and you will learn, good police flock together, and they become better just by being around one another. Vince had some of the best around him, they drew to him, and he to them… making some of the best Police in Baltimore, better. It’s how Vince was… to be near him, made you feel you had to be a better, just to be worthy of his company. During the sad ride to Oaklawn Cemetery it was the most reminder of his loss; observed by concerned citizens who lined nearly shoulder to shoulder for the entire length of the funeral procession. Services at the graveside were brief, and then our brother Officer Vincent J. Adolfo was buried.

We his brothers and sisters of the Baltimore Police Department will not let him be forgotten – RIP Officer Vincent J. Adolfo and may God Bless You - For your service "Honored" the City of Baltimore, and the Baltimore Police Department" #BPDNeverForget

 

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