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NYPD to Rename Queens Police Academy for Detective Steven D. McDonald

Commissioner Jessica Tisch said McDonald’s courage and forgiveness reflect the qualities the department seeks to instill in new officers.

Overview

  • McDonald’s widow, Patti Ann, and their son, NYPD Captain Conor McDonald, visited the College Point campus on Monday and spoke with recruits about his legacy.
  • The official rededication is scheduled for July 16, the date he entered the academy in 1984, according to ABC7.
  • McDonald was shot by a 15-year-old in Central Park in 1986 and was left quadriplegic, later becoming a mentor to generations of officers.
  • He publicly forgave the teenager who shot him and remained an advocate and speaker until his death in 2017 at age 59.
  • The Queens training facility is a modern campus with classrooms and realistic New York City street simulations used to prepare recruits.