Police Chief John J. Mooney III confirmed this morning the line of duty
death of Atlantic City Police Officer Kevin Wilkins, 31 years of age and
a 2 ½ year veteran of the Atlantic City Police Department.
“Our agency has suffered a tragic loss,” Chief Mooney stated, “Officer
Wilkins had dedicated himself in a career of service to the people of
Atlantic City.”
A preliminary report of the investigation reveals that on this date,
Officer Wilkins was on patrol in uniform and operating a marked patrol
vehicle. He was in the area of Stanley Holmes Village at Kentucky and
Baltic Avenues along with other patrol units. At approximately 1:27 AM,
while parked on the roadway and seated inside his patrol unit, Officer
Wilkins suffered a single gunshot wound to the face as a result of the
accidental discharge of his semi-automatic service pistol. Other
officers on scene summoned immediate medical assistance for Officer
Wilkins; however, the officer was pronounced dead at the scene via
telemetry at 1:46 AM.
Based upon a compilation of witness statements and forensic examination
of the evidence, it has been established that Officer Wilkins removed
his service pistol from his duty holster and was attempting to install a
rubber sleeve on the pistol grip. The officer had removed the loaded
magazine from the pistol but apparently failed to clear the pistol
chamber of a live round of ammunition, which unintentionally discharged
as the officer manipulated the pistol to install the rubber sleeve.
According to established protocol, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s
Office Major Crime Squad was requested to respond along with the
Atlantic County Medical Examiner. The official cause and manner of death
is pending autopsy results and a review of the case file by County
Prosecutor Ted Housel.
Officer Wilkins was a 1996 graduate of Atlantic City High School and
attended Tallahassee Community College, Seton Hall University and the NJ
Juvenile Justice Commission Training Academy prior to his service with
Atlantic City. He was a January 20, 2008 graduate of the Cape May County
Police Academy 25th Basic Course for Police Officers and assigned to
foot patrol prior to his present assignment on general patrol duties on
Charlie Platoon ( midnight to 8AM shift.)
Officer Wilkins is survived by his father, three siblings and his
fiancé. Funeral arrangements with Departmental Honors are pending and
will be released when available.
Authority: Police Chief John J. Mooney III
Phone: 609-347-6970
Fax: 609-343-3667
E-Mail: mooney@acpolice.org
Comedian Mike Marino will perform at the
Trenton War Memorial on Saturday, September 12 to benefit
Ryan's Quest.
Ryan's Quest is a nonprofit organization
created by the Schultz family of Hamilton after their son Ryan was
diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) at the age of two.
The mission of the organization is to increase awareness and
allocate funding for research that has the greatest potential of finding
a treatment or a cure for this generation of boys with DMD. One hundred
percent of the donations and proceeds received by Ryan's Quest go to
medical research for this disease.
DMD is a progressive muscle disorder affecting
nearly 1 out of 3,500 boys worldwide causing
the loss of muscle function and independence. Boys
with DMD lose their ability to walk by the age of 8 to 12, requiring a
wheelchair. By their late teens, respiratory support is needed in
order to breathe. The disease usually claims the lives of these boys in
their early twenties. To date, there is no treatment or
cure.
Mike Marino,
native of New Jersey, is returning for this special comedy concert. He
has performed in every major comedy club in New York and Los Angeles,
including The MGM Grand, Catch a Rising Star, The Comic Strip, Stand Up
NY, The Improv, Rascals and The Icehouse. Mike is a headliner at Laugh
Factory and The Comedy Store in Hollywood, where he appears nightly. He
has worked with some of the biggest names in show business, including
Andrew Dice Clay, Carrot Top, Lou Rawls, Tony Orlando, Frankie Avalon,
Tony Danza, Joey Gian and Frank Stallone.
Tickets to the 8 p.m. Mike Marino Comedy for a
Cure show at the War Memorial are $30 to $45. Tickets to the after
party are $20. The price of the ticket includes beer,
wine, desserts and hors d'ouevres catered by Massimo's, Triumph Brewery,
Hub City, and Shop Rite liquors of Pennington.
To purchase tickets to the show and after
party benefiting this worthy cause, you must call the War Memorial
Box Office at 609-984-8400. For tickets to just the comedy show you may
call or purchase your tickets at
www.thewarmemorial.com
To learn more
about Ryan's Quest visit
www.ryansquest.org.
