Caution: Contains disturbing content; discretion advised.

Donald Irwin & Phillip Black

A routine traffic stop turned tragic.

Victim(s)

Donald R. Irwin (39M), Phillip A. Black (39M)

Perpetrator(s)

Jesse Joseph Tafero, Sonia “Sunny” Jacobs

Case Status

Closed Case

Case Years

February 20, 1976

Location(s)

Interstate 95 Rest Area, Broward County, Florida, United States

On a routine stop along Interstate 95 in Florida, Ontario Provincial Police Corporal Donald Irwin had joined Florida Highway Patrol Trooper Phillip Black for a ride-along while vacationing. Their check of a parked car led to a sudden barrage of gunfire that killed both officers instantly and triggered a high-stakes manhunt. Jesse Tafero and his wife Sunny Jacobs were arrested after a pursuit that involved vehicle theft and kidnapping. Tafero was later executed for the murders, making the case a grim reminder of the risks faced by law enforcement on the most ordinary of days.

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