A news report said four witnesses saw Officer Lopez, 25, gunned down that night in Ybor City, but the case remained unsolved for 40 years.
Officer Lopez, who walked a beat in Ybor, was standing at the corner of Broadway and 16th St. when a blue Ford stopped nearby and a shot rang out. As the car sped off, Officer Lopez dropped to the sidewalk and died from a gunshot wound to his shoulder.
In 1989, a witness came forward to clear his conscience and identify the suspect, letting police clear the case. The witness told police the killer (who died soon after the shooting) had threatened him and his family.