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Detective

John Sczyrek Jr.

Newark Police Division — Newark, NJ

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch June 3, 1993

Age 30

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Badge 1701

The Vigil Panel 139 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 57

Incident

Detective John Sczyrek was shot and killed in court by a suspect who was trying to keep him from testifying against his two cousins charged with narcotics crimes following an undercover assignment. As Detective Sczyrek walked down the courthouse hallway, the defendant's cousin opened fire with a .357 caliber handgun. As the suspect attempted to flee, he shot and critically wounded another deputy but was apprehended a short distance away. The 25-year-old suspect had boasted to relatives in North Carolina a day earlier that he was leaving and going to New Jersey to kill Detective Sczyrek and the judge in the case because he said they could not get a fair trial. One of the defendant's girlfriends, a 22-year-old court employee, met the suspect in the courthouse and gave him the handgun. Although metal detectors were installed at the entrances three months earlier, she used a private door for court employees to enter. She and the suspect were charged with murder and attempted murder. Both were convicted of murder. She was sentenced to 20 years and the suspect to life. The other deputy shot through a lung recovered. Detective Sczyrek had served with the Newark Police Department for seven years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NJ-CB1DC933
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. John is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Sczyrek gave the Newark Police Division 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Newark community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Sczyrek.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Newark Police Division

Type Police Department

Location Newark, NJ

Platform Identity npdpd.essex.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 3, 1993

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 30

Badge Number 1701

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

John Sczyrek Jr. served in the U.S. Army (1980â1981) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective John Sczyrek Jr. is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In NJ, 229 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 35.4% of this state's fallen. That is 35.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Newark Police Division, 28 of 58 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 48.3% of this agency's fallen.

Newark Police Division

of 58 officers

48.3% Felonious

NJ — Statewide

229

of 646 officers

35.4% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious