70 Cops Honored For Bravery at Medal Day (Free Article)

Two slain Detectives First Grade received special honors at the NYPD’s Medal Day June 6, when they were among 70 members of the department whose bravery was celebrated.

Steven McDonald, whose death in January 2017 was caused by complications from shots fired by a teenager he was questioning in Central Park 30 years earlier, had his Police Officer’s shield retired and given to his wife and son. After he was paralyzed in the shooting, he became a beacon of hope and forgiveness in the NYPD and around the world.

Assassinated Officer

Miosotis Familia, who was assassinated by a mentally-disturbed ex-convict as she sat in a mobile command post in The Bronx last July, was awarded the Medal of Honor, the department’s highest decoration. She was promoted posthumously, and was 48 years old when she was killed.

In Washington, D.C. the day before, Detective Familia’s mother and three children were recognized by President Trump at the National Peace Officers’ Memorial Service.

“It’s such an honor to have you up here,” he told the family in front of the U.S. Capitol. “We weren’t going to bring you up, but I looked at you in the audience and I said you have to come up, because you’re representing something so important.”

At Medal Day ceremonies, the three children—Genesis Villella and twins Peter and Delilah Vega—received a standing ovation as they accepted her medal from Mayor de Blasio and Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill.

Shield Had Meaning

Detective McDonald’s son, Conor, an NYPD Sergeant, said of his father’s badge, “That shield meant a lot to my dad. My dad was a good man, that was very important to him.” The Detective’s wife, Patricia Ann, said she would have it framed.

The shield, number 15231, had been issued to another officer, Brendan McNamara, who said he was happy to give it up. “As soon as I found out whose shield it actually was and that the family was trying to get it retired, I said of course, I was honored,” he said. “To have known who carried that shield and then to be able to give it back to the family was a true honor.”

Detective McDonald was wearing that shield on July 12, 1986, when he was shot by 15-year-old Shavod Jones, whom he was questioning about a bicycle theft. His wife was pregnant with Conor at the time. He publicly forgave Mr. Jones and communicated with him in prison.

Message of Faith

Until he died at age 59, he shared a message of nonviolence, faith and reconciliation with fellow police officers and world leaders alike, using a wheelchair and a breathing machine.

“Everyone knows the story and what he taught us, the way he called upon us to favor our better angels no matter how hard the situation, a man of faith such as we have rarely seen on this earth,” Mr. de Blasio said.

“Today we honor those who gave their lives to the people of this city,” said Mr. O’Neill. “And we also recognize those whose remarkable courage, instinct and skill carried them through situations that would have panicked most other people. But they’re not most other people. They’re among the finest law-enforcement officers in the world.”

Also honored was Sgt. Donald Coniff, who was posthumously given the NYPD’s Purple Shield after dying in 2015 of injuries he sustained in 1998 when his vehicle was hit by a drunken driver as he drove between assignments at Times Square for New Year’s Eve and City Hall for Rudy Giuliani’s inauguration as Mayor.

The award is given to officers who have suffered serious physical injury, disfigurement or protracted impairment of health while performing an official act.

For Firefights

Sixteen officers received the Combat Cross, the department's second-highest award, bestowed for extraordinary acts of heroism while engaging an armed adversary.

They were Lieut. Marek Nowak; Sgts. Cesar Gomez, Patrick McGrath and Michael Pomerantz; Dets. Diara Cruz, Nicholas DeRobertis, Andrew Dossi, Patrick Espeut, Daniel Gasperetti, Richard Hoda, Aliro Pellerano, Edelman Santos and Matthew Vorraro; and Police Officers Phillip Pena, John Quinn and Jaime Santiago.

Twenty-four officers received the third-highest award, the Medal for Valor, given for acts of bravery performed at imminent personal hazard to life.

They were Lieuts. Patrick Ryan and Christopher Ward; Sgts. Alberto Puente, Richard Santiago and Thomas Sorrentino; Dets. John Fahim, Willie Johnson, Gregory Kennedy and Shante Terrell; and Police Officers Jacob Aaronson, John Arnold, Anthony Baresi, Brian Boyle, Tony Cuoco, John Flanagan, Marc Fontana, Craig Lalla, Mateusz Krzeminski, William Neville, Juan Peralta, Gobin Ragunath, Michael Renna, Kenneth Stallone, Kiel Sui, Diana Torres, Michael Vuoso and Frederick Winter.

9/11 Casualties

Twenty-four officers and civilian employees received the Distinguished Service Medal, given to those who died of illness associated with their work, for the aftereffects of service during or after the 9/11 terrorist attack.

They were Deputy Chief James G. Molloy; Lieut. John C. Rowland; Sgts. Patrick J. Boyle, Patrick T. Coyne, Terrence S. O'Hara and Michael B. Wagner; Detective First Grade Gerard A. Ahearn; Detective Second Grade Thomas P. Ward; Dets. James T. Giery, William D. Kinane, Stephen T. Kubinski, Christian R. Lindsay and George C. Remouns Jr.; Police Officers Judy A. Ghany-Barounis, William J. King, Christine A. Reilly, Wayne J. Sblano, Peter M. Sheridan, Richard E. Taylor, Reginald Umpthery and John F. Vierling Jr.; Police Surgeon Murtain Haskin; Maintenance Supervisor Umberto Corso; and Administrative Traffic Enforcement Agent Eugene P. Hourican.

Unit citations were given to the 9th, 32nd, 41st and 101st precincts; Police Service Area 2; Transit District 3; Patrol Borough Brooklyn North Anti-Crime; the 40th Precinct Detective Squad; the Central Robbery Division; the Office of Crime Control Strategies; the Employee Assistance Unit; the Force Investigation Division; and the Traffic Enforcement Division.

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