MTA Remembers Fallen Officers During National Police Week

Communities across the country will honor and remember those law enforcement officers who made the ultimate sacrifice, as well as the family members, friends and fellow officers they left behind. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels and the MTA Police Department (MTA PD) remember their fallen colleagues, honoring dedication and service to the MTA and its customers. 

“The police community is a tight one, colleagues are more extended family than simply coworkers,” said MTA Bridges and Tunnels President Catherine Sheridan and MTA Police Chief John Mueller. “Each officer takes a commitment like no other, putting their lives at risk every time they put on that uniform. This week, we remember the fallen and honor our peers who keep us safe.” 

This week, the MTA family remembers colleagues who passed in the line of duty. 

Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA)

Thomas K. Choi - On October 20, 2013, Bridge and Tunnel Officer Thomas Choi was reopening the lower level of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge when he was struck by a vehicle. He was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries on December 29, 2014. Officer Choi had served with the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority for 11 years. 

MTA Police Department 

William F. Buckley - William Buckley was a crossing patrolman who worked for the Long Island Rail Road Police Department in the early 1900s. On December 23, 1926, while on patrol at a freight yard in Brooklyn, he was struck and killed by a freight train as it was backing into the yard. 

Dennis M. McCarney - Dennis McCarney was a Police Officer with the LIRR Police Department. He and his partner were arresting a robbery suspect inside of Penn Station in Manhattan when the suspect broke free. A foot pursuit ensued, and Officer McCarney suffered a fatal heart attack as he gave chase. He passed away in 1989. 

Timothy Heverin - Patrolman Timothy Heverin died on April 7, 1944, when he fell into a coal hopper at the Burns Brothers Coal Company yard at 770 Chauncey Street in Brooklyn, New York. He and his relief would meet at the yard at shift change. The oncoming patrolman found him inside of the hopper suffering from fatal injuries. Patrolman Heverin had served with the LIRR Police Department for at least 26 years. He was survived by his wife and five children. 

About National Police Week 

In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation which designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day and the week in which that date falls as Police Week. Currently, tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, D.C. to participate in a number of planned events which honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. For more information about National Police Week, visit https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2024. The 36th annual candlelight vigil will be held on Monday, May 13, at the National Mall in Washington, D.C.