A renewed call for justice has emerged as new surveillance footage is released concerning the five-year-old cold case murder of off-duty New York City correction officer John Jeff. As reported by Eyewitness News, Jeff was fatally shot in August 2020 near his residence in Springfield Gardens, Queens, a short distance from where a social gathering had taken place.

The chilling circumstances of the shooting were caught on video, revealing a dispute followed by a series of gunshots, as revealed by Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz. Jeff was shot eight times with one bullet striking his head, and the confrontation allegedly began after his car was punched while he attempted to exit a blocked parking space. In an interview with Eyewitness News, DA Katz mentioned, "He asked two people behind him, two cars behind him, it was a black Mercedes and a blue BMW."

John Jeff's mother, Beverly Ford—a retired Rikers Island Correction Captain—and his sister Jayliyah Arnold continue to mourn their loss and seek closure. "That was my big brother. He was my savior. He was my protector," Arnold told Eyewitness News. The hope for finding the perpetrator has been reignited, with Crime Stoppers increasing their reward to $30,000 for information leading to an arrest and subsequent prosecution.

At the time of Jeff's brutal death, he was found with 11 gunshot wounds, according to law enforcement sources cited by The New York Post. Witnesses at the scene reported chaos and attempts at life-saving measures, but Jeff was pronounced dead at Jamaica Hospital. "I was busy trying to save him. I saw blood but I only realized he was shot in the head when the police came," a witness said. This senseless act of violence not only robbed a family of a loved one but also shook the community, emphasizing the fragility of peace in areas perceived as calm.

The Correction Officers Benevolent Association (COBA) stands in solidarity with the victim's family and has also contributed to the reward fund. COBA President Benny Boscio said in a statement, "We stand firmly behind Officer Jeff's Family in their pursuit to bring his killer to justice," as per an article by Eyewitness News. The city, still grappling with this tragedy, watches and waits as prosecutors leverage all available resources in hopes that the increased reward and new video evidence breathe new life into a case that has thus far eluded resolution.