Waverly Brown
Encyclopedia
Waverly L. Brown was a Nyack, New York
police officer
who was killed in the line of duty during an infamous 1981 armed robbery
of a Brinks Armored Car
, along with fellow Nyack officer Edward O'Grady II
and Brinks security guard Peter Paige. The event garnered national headlines and led the arrest and imprisonment of several people involved, many of whom were members of the Weather Underground and Black Liberation Army
.
Prior to his law enforcement career, Brown served in the United States Air Force
and participated in the Korean War
. In 1966, he became the first African American
member of Nyack's police departmenthttp://frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=9508. By 1981, he had served with the department for 15 years. Nicknamed "Chipper", he was well liked by his fellow officers, and often cooked meals for them during his shifthttp://www.ogradybrown.com/.
ambushed a Brinks armored car parked in front of the Nanuet Mall in Nanuet, NY. One guard was killed and another was severely wounded. Following the attack on the guards, the robbers took several bags of cash and fled the scene, ditching their van and entering a waiting U-Haul
truck in a nearby parking lot, driven by Weatherman Underground members. An alert college student saw the robbers entering the U-Haul and called the police, triggering an intense police search for the truck.
At the intersection of Route 59 and Mountainview Ave., Nyack Police Officers Waverly Brown, Brian Lennon, Sgt. Edward O'Grady, and Detective Artie Keenan pulled over the truck and ordered the driver to exit the vehicle with their guns drawn. A woman later identified as Kathy Boudin
subsequently exited the truck with her hands in the air, feigning innocence, and pleaded with them to put down their guns.
At this point, the officers started to wonder if they had the wrong truck, but suddenly the rear door of the U-Haul flew up, the robbers stormed out, and immediately opened fire on the startled police. Officer Brown was killed almost instantly. Sgt. O'Grady managed to fire all 6 shots from his service revolver, but was hit multiple times by M16
fire and died shortly after being transported to a local hospital. The other officers survived the shootout with minor injuries, while the suspects fled the scene in multiple directions.
and David Gilbert, and BLA member Samuel Brown
were all arrested while attempting to escape the scene of the crime.
On October 23, NYPD detectives in Queens, New York attempted to pull over a car bearing a license plate that was linked to a getaway vehicle used in the Brinks robbery. The two suspects, Samuel Smith and Nathaniel Burns, in the car tried to evade the police, but Smith was killed in a shootout after firing on the pursuing officers, while Burns was arrested after his own gun jammed.
An ensuing investigation carried out by the police and FBI led to the arrest of several more suspects charged with involvement in the robbery, including senior BLA member Donal Weems (A.K.A Kuwasi Balagoon
), and Marilyn Buck
, who supplied the robbers with weapons and let them use her apartment to plan the robbery. The last suspect to be arrested was the ringleader of the robbery, Jeral Williams, in 1986.
Clark, Brown, Gilbert, Williams, and Weems were all sentenced to terms of 75-years to life in prison. Unlike her fellow Weatherman members, Boudin decided to recognize the legitimacy of the court system and work out a plea
bargain. She was sentence to a term of 20-years to life and was paroled in 2003. Buck was sentenced to 50-years to life for her role in the robbery and several other charges.
Brown was survived by his mother and three children, all of whom also served in the Air Force just as their father did. His son, Gregory, followed in his father's footsteps, joining the United States Postal Policehttp://www.ogradybrown.com/.
Nyack, New York
Nyack is a village in the towns of Orangetown and Clarkstown in Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of South Nyack; east of Central Nyack; south of Upper Nyack and west of the Hudson River, approximately 19 miles north of the Manhattan boundary, it is an inner suburb of New...
police officer
Police officer
A police officer is a warranted employee of a police force...
who was killed in the line of duty during an infamous 1981 armed robbery
Brinks robbery (1981)
The Brink's robbery of 1981 was an armed robbery committed on October 20, 1981, which was carried out by Black Liberation Army members; including Jeral Wayne Williams , Donald Weems , Samuel Smith, Nathaniel Burns , Cecilio "Chui" Ferguson, Samuel Brown ; several former members of the Weather...
of a Brinks Armored Car
Armored car (valuables)
A common meaning of armored car is as an armored van or truck, used in transporting valuables, such as large quantities of money . The armored car is a multifunctional vehicle designed to protect and ensure the well being of the transported individuals and/or contents...
, along with fellow Nyack officer Edward O'Grady II
Edward O'Grady II
Edward O'Grady II was born in Nyack, New York. After graduating high school, he joined the United States Marine Corps and served two tours of service in the Vietnam War. O'Grady joined the Nyack Police department after his discharge and also worked as a volunteer fire fighter with the Nyack fire...
and Brinks security guard Peter Paige. The event garnered national headlines and led the arrest and imprisonment of several people involved, many of whom were members of the Weather Underground and Black Liberation Army
Black Liberation Army
The Black Liberation Army was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist militant organization that operated in the United States from 1970 to 1981...
.
Prior to his law enforcement career, Brown served in the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
and participated in the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
. In 1966, he became the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
member of Nyack's police departmenthttp://frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=9508. By 1981, he had served with the department for 15 years. Nicknamed "Chipper", he was well liked by his fellow officers, and often cooked meals for them during his shifthttp://www.ogradybrown.com/.
1981 armed robbery
On October 20, 1981, heavily armed members of the Black Liberation ArmyBlack Liberation Army
The Black Liberation Army was an underground, black nationalist-Marxist militant organization that operated in the United States from 1970 to 1981...
ambushed a Brinks armored car parked in front of the Nanuet Mall in Nanuet, NY. One guard was killed and another was severely wounded. Following the attack on the guards, the robbers took several bags of cash and fled the scene, ditching their van and entering a waiting U-Haul
U-Haul
U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation since 1945. The company was founded by Leonard Shoen U-Haul International, Inc. is an American equipment rental company, based in Phoenix, Arizona, that has been in operation...
truck in a nearby parking lot, driven by Weatherman Underground members. An alert college student saw the robbers entering the U-Haul and called the police, triggering an intense police search for the truck.
At the intersection of Route 59 and Mountainview Ave., Nyack Police Officers Waverly Brown, Brian Lennon, Sgt. Edward O'Grady, and Detective Artie Keenan pulled over the truck and ordered the driver to exit the vehicle with their guns drawn. A woman later identified as Kathy Boudin
Kathy Boudin
Kathy Boudin is a former American radical who was convicted in 1984 of felony murder for her participation in an armed robbery that resulted in the killing of three people. She later became a public health expert while in prison...
subsequently exited the truck with her hands in the air, feigning innocence, and pleaded with them to put down their guns.
At this point, the officers started to wonder if they had the wrong truck, but suddenly the rear door of the U-Haul flew up, the robbers stormed out, and immediately opened fire on the startled police. Officer Brown was killed almost instantly. Sgt. O'Grady managed to fire all 6 shots from his service revolver, but was hit multiple times by M16
M16 rifle
The M16 is the United States military designation for the AR-15 rifle adapted for both semi-automatic and full-automatic fire. Colt purchased the rights to the AR-15 from ArmaLite, and currently uses that designation only for semi-automatic versions of the rifle. The M16 fires the 5.56×45mm NATO...
fire and died shortly after being transported to a local hospital. The other officers survived the shootout with minor injuries, while the suspects fled the scene in multiple directions.
Aftermath
Boudin along with fellow Weathermen Judith Alice ClarkJudith Alice Clark
Judy Clark, an activist with a long-standing history in the social movements of the 1960s and 1970s, is currently in prison for her participation in the attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in 1981 that left a guard and two police officers dead. Clark was convicted for a secondary role in the...
and David Gilbert, and BLA member Samuel Brown
Samuel Brown
Samuel Brown may refer to:* Samuel Brown , English inventor of early internal combustion engine* Samuel Brown , English pioneer suspension bridge engineer and inventor...
were all arrested while attempting to escape the scene of the crime.
On October 23, NYPD detectives in Queens, New York attempted to pull over a car bearing a license plate that was linked to a getaway vehicle used in the Brinks robbery. The two suspects, Samuel Smith and Nathaniel Burns, in the car tried to evade the police, but Smith was killed in a shootout after firing on the pursuing officers, while Burns was arrested after his own gun jammed.
An ensuing investigation carried out by the police and FBI led to the arrest of several more suspects charged with involvement in the robbery, including senior BLA member Donal Weems (A.K.A Kuwasi Balagoon
Kuwasi Balagoon
Kuwasi Balagoon , born Donald Weems, was a Black Panther, a member of the Black Liberation Army, a New Afrikan anarchist, and a defendant in the Panther 21 case in the late sixties. Captured and convicted of various crimes, he spent most of the 1970s in prison...
), and Marilyn Buck
Marilyn Buck
Marilyn Jean Buck was an American Marxist revolutionary, convict, and feminist poet, who was imprisoned for her participation in the 1979 prison escape of Assata Shakur, the 1981 Brinks robbery and the 1983 U.S. Senate bombing...
, who supplied the robbers with weapons and let them use her apartment to plan the robbery. The last suspect to be arrested was the ringleader of the robbery, Jeral Williams, in 1986.
Clark, Brown, Gilbert, Williams, and Weems were all sentenced to terms of 75-years to life in prison. Unlike her fellow Weatherman members, Boudin decided to recognize the legitimacy of the court system and work out a plea
Plea
In legal terms, a plea is simply an answer to a claim made by someone in a civil or criminal case under common law using the adversary system. Colloquially, a plea has come to mean the assertion by a criminal defendant at arraignment, or otherwise in response to a criminal charge, whether that...
bargain. She was sentence to a term of 20-years to life and was paroled in 2003. Buck was sentenced to 50-years to life for her role in the robbery and several other charges.
Brown was survived by his mother and three children, all of whom also served in the Air Force just as their father did. His son, Gregory, followed in his father's footsteps, joining the United States Postal Policehttp://www.ogradybrown.com/.