At approximately 9:30 p.m. on September 10, 1951, Det. James Daggett and four other Detectives were observing four men carrying paper and cartons into a loft building at 9 West 18th Street in Manhattan. Two of the men were known to the Detectives as burglars and safe crackers. They drove up in an automobile and carried their wares into the building. After a few minutes, they came back outside and their cartons were empty. Two of the men drove away in the auto, but the other two went back inside the building. The two who drove away were stopped shortly thereafter by police, arrested, and quickly confessed that there was going to be an arson fire at the building. Daggett and two colleagues ran into the building to arrest the other two perpetrators. While they were on their way out with the perps, there was a large explosion, which broke out into a fire. Daggett and one of the perps were killed on the spot. Det. Howard Phelan was blown through a wall and, in a semi-conscious condition, crawled out onto the street with his clothing aflame. Phelan was taken to St. Vincent’s hospital in serious condition, but he eventually recovered. The other perpetrator, also seriously injured, died at the hospital two days later. The nine story building was shattered and the resulting devastation included a five-alarm fire. It took three hours to bring the fire under control. The two remaining perpetrators were indicted for first degree murder and received 25 years to life. All the Detectives and Officers involved received Departmental honors. On September 14, 1951, Daggett received a large Inspector’s funeral in Manhattan. He was survived by his father, two brothers, and a sister. He was 38 years old. On December 3, 1951, Police Launch #13 was christened “The Detective James L. Daggett” in his memory. “The Detective Daggett” was the first NYPD boat named after member of the service killed in the line of police duty. Up until that point, all the other NYPD launches had been named after those killed in military action. Two weeks before Det. Howard Phelan died in 1993, one of the perpetrators was released from prison. Read more about Det. Daggett on the DEA's website.