Four years after the untimely death of John Jeff, a New York City Correction Officer who was fatally shot in Springfield Gardens, the Queens District Attorney's Office is seeking the public's assistance. District Attorney Melinda Katz has released surveillance video related to the case, marking a renewed effort to solve the cold case murder. "My office has been investigating the murder of an off-duty Correction Officer for over four years. Although cases may grow cold, they are never forgotten. We hope that by publicly releasing this surveillance footage, we will bring more attention to this senseless, unsolved murder," Katz said in a statement from the Queens District Attorney's Office.
The incident occurred at approximately 3 a.m. on August 15, 2020, when Jeff was shot to death after a series of altercations on Ridgedale and Defoe Streets. Jeff, at the time a passenger in a black Chevy Malibu, was involved in a confrontation with the occupants of a black Mercedes and later with an individual from a white Infinity. During the second dispute, nearby party-goers had also begun to join the scene, only to quickly disperse as gunshots rang out. An appeal has been made for anyone with information to come forward, with the District Attorney urging to directly contact NYPD Crimestoppers via 800-577-TIPS or via an online link. A $30,000 reward is being offered for information that could help in bringing the perpetrators to justice.
Shortly after the deadly encounter, 13 spent shell casings were collected from the site alongside bullets of various conditions. Det. Jeff, after identifying himself as an officer and brandishing his firearm, is believed to possibly have been shot with his own weapon, which was missing from the scene, alongside the other shooters'. The vehicles implicated in the altercation, including a blue BMW and the others previously mentioned, fled immediately after the gunshots occurred. Jeff succumbed to his injuries, including multiple gunshot wounds to his head, torso, and limbs, and was pronounced dead at the hospital at 3:37 a.m. that same day.
