On the evening of October 30, 1976, in Mechanicville, New York, 21-year-old auxiliary policeman Paul N. Luther was shot and killed while responding to a call. Luther had taken the exam that day to become a full-time patrolman and served as president of the local fire company, active in the community he served.

The shooter, 32-year-old Vietnam veteran Kenyon W. Pruyn, opened fire from his third-floor Main Street apartment with multiple rifles, firing over 300 rounds. The gunfire struck Joyce’s Log Cabin restaurant across the street, killing 51-year-old James E. Marsh, Jr., wounding nine others and seriously wounding another officer, John Donnelly. Luther was the first officer to arrive and was fatally shot.

The siege ended after a fire started in Pruyn’s apartment, forcing his surrender. He later pleaded guilty in June 1977 to multiple counts including second-degree murder and attempted murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life. The city retired Luther’s badge number and named a park and a high school auditorium in his honor.