It was a Wednesday night, November 28, 1956. I was 18 years old and just out of high school. My neighborhood hangout was at Communipaw and West Side Avenues. Most of us had cars which were called 'jalopies' at that time by our parents. Today we would be called "Gear Heads". I had a 1935 Ford cabriolet - a real beauty, two seater with a rumble seat. Most other guys had similar vintage bombs. Tommy C. had borrowed his father's car to hang out with, it was a late 40's model 4 door Dodge, jet black which Tommy constantly kept shined. If we leaned on it Tommy would be there with a rag to clean it off. One of the tough guys from Greenville "Dusty C." came by and asked Tommy to borrow the car - Tommy tried to resist but in his own words said "I'm a musician not a fighter". Dusty rode off with the car saying "I'll be right back". It never happened. Dusty was 22 and had many scrapes with the law and was headed to one of the worst days in the life of the Jersey City Police Department.

The car was spotted by JCPD Motorcycle Patrolman Ralph Sheprow driving with no lights. He gave chase. Up Montgomery Street off West Side to the Boulevard where County Boulevard Officer Anthony Groener joined the chase. Down Duncan Avenue to West Side again sirens wailing and more vehicles in the pursuit. The chase ended outside the Casino in the Park where Tommy C.'s father's car crashed into another car where they bailed out and started to run. Dusty had a 16 year old boy with him during the chase. Officers fired warning shots and then in the direction of the two as they fled. A Patrolman who had heard the chase on the air was at the location and was struck by a bullet which damaged his spine. William McCaffery, age 30 received a wound which caused him to be paralyzed. He had been appointed March 1, 1950 and had six years on the job. He was an Army Air Force veteran of WWII. McCaffery spent the next two years in a wheelchair in and out of hospitals for rehabilitation. His injury caused him extreme pain constantly. On December 13, 1958, two years after he had been shot, he lost his fight to live. He was 32 years old, leaving a wife and three small daughters.

It was determined that Dusty did not have a weapon. It wasn't determined whose gun caused William McCaffery's wound. Dusty was charged with assault with intent to kill, contributing to the delinquency of a minor and numerous motor vehicle violations. Afterward, Dusty continued a life of petty crime. Tommy C.'s father forgave him (Tommy not Dusty). His car was bullet riddled. My friends and I had run when we first saw the chase and came upon the scene in the park. It certainly was a day I would never forget. Bill McCaffery's name is on the wall of heroes at the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial in Washington, D.C. Our police historian Detective Frank Sprague has contributed greatly to this article and to the many heroes of the Jersey City Police Department being given their due honor being placed on that great memorial.