Jerrell J. Jeter

Deadly force

A robbery was under way when Irvington Detective Roman Melenka strolled into P&P Tobacco and Grocery at 5:05 p.m. for a soda. Two men had guns trained on the cashier. Five or six patrons watched, some lying on the ground, some with their hands in the air. One of the armed men, Jerrell Jeter, pushed him toward a refrigerator unit. The gunman fired at Melenka, hitting him in his upper left arm. The detective shot and killed Jeter.