The DEA Honor Roll

Abraham Walton joined the force in June 1968 and was first assigned to the fabled TPF: the Tactical Patrol Force. He also served in the 18 Precinct, the 32 Precinct, and the 77 Precinct, as well as the Crime Prevention Section. His last command was the Street Crime Unit.

On July 14, 1980, at about 4:15 a.m., four gunmen burst into a social night spot called the Desire Club at 125-18  111th Avenue in the Richmond Hill section of Queens. After ordering drinks, the men displayed firearms and announced a robbery. They ordered all the patrons to lie down on the floor. Off-duty Det. Abraham Walton, at first, complied with the other patrons, until the gunmen began to remove valuables from the victims. They assaulted the bar manager when they demanded the key to the cash register. At this point, Walton rose, and announced he was a Police Officer. There was an exchange of gunfire. Det. Walton was hit multiple times. He died five hours later at Jamaica Hospital.

The perpetrators fled with Det. Walton’s revolver, wallet, and shield. Two men were subsequently arrested for his murder. On March 30, 1982, both men — Mottis Craig, 26, and Henry Robinson, 28, — were convicted of felony murder, robbery, and attempted robbery.

Det. Walton was 38 years old and had been on the force 12 years. He lived about 15 blocks from the social club. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on June 11, 1981. He was survived by his wife, two daughters and a son. Said the Chief of Patrol, “Det. Walton was one of the top five Police Officers I’ve ever worked with. He was a very quiet man, a man of steel, and not afraid of anything.” Det. Walton had 33 Departmental citations.

On March 23, 2016, the NYPD named a Counterterrorism Bureau K-9, a yellow Labrador named “Abe,” in Det. Walton’s honor.

Read the article from the New York Times dated July 15, 1980 about the murder of Det. Walton:

Abraham Walton NY Times 7-15-80