Willie Craven was an African-American drug dealer who lived in Brooklyn, New York City during the 1970s. In 1971, he was arrested by NYPD detectives Jimmy Doyle and Buddy Russo on suspicion of holding up a laundromat and murdering an elderly Jewish man, as well as for dealing drugs to three "roaches" in Poughkeepsie. Craven slashed Russo in the arm with a shiv during the chase, leading to Doyle treating Craven brutally, while Russo asked Doyle to exercise restraint. Ultimately, Craven was sent to jail for assaulting Russo and for his drug trafficking.