Assassin Attempts to Murder NYC Police Detective

Late Sunday afternoon, a French assassin suspected to be working on behalf of a French drug kingpin, attempted to murder a New York City Police Detective who was investigating the case.

Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, assigned to the Narcotics Division, was gunned down by Pierre Jeantot, of Nice, France. Jeantot was one of the men Doyle and his partner Buddy “Cloudy” Russo were investigating. Doyle used his .38 caliber service revolver and shot Jeantot in the back at the bottom of the steps to the platform of the 15th St. elevated railway station.

“We suspect Jeantot had been assigned to assassinate Doyle,” said Ruth L. Ess, New York City Police commissioner, in a press release.

The hijacked train crashed into the back of another train after being forced to skip a scheduled stop. An injured Jeantot attempted to escape not knowing Doyle was waiting for him at his exit.

Prior to the chase, Jeantot had fired several shots from an automatic rifle at Doyle from the roof of an apartment building at 1767 W. 57th Ave. During these shootings, Jeantot killed 63 year old Betty Badluck who was walking her granddaughter near the apartment building.

The shooting came at the end of a long chase in which Doyle pursued the suspect from 35th St. Station in a commandeered car. Jeantot hijacked the train, killing Roland Evans, a 15- year veteran of the New York City Police Department and conductor Horatio Hornblower with a .44 Magnum revolver. He also is responsible for the heart attack, which resulted in death, of the trainman at the controls, Peter Howe.

“Let me just say is always unfortunate when these incidents end in a loss of a life. We should have preferred to see Jeantot prosecuted in the courts, and we believe Doyle was close to a breakthrough on the case,” said Ess. “We commend Detective Doyle for his bravery and quick thinking under very trying circumstances,” she said.

According to Homeland Security records, Jeantot entered the United States on November 4 on a flight from Paris. He was suspected to be part of a crime syndicate that had been laying the groundwork for a major heroin shipment from France to New York City. Two other men suspected to be involved in the operation are now in questioning.

“We will continue a vigorous and thorough investigation into what appears to be a major smuggling operation. We will not sit while drug dealers walk our streets,” said Ess.