NYPD Detective Peter Figoski, who was fatally shot in the line of duty in 2011, was honored last week, when the street on which he lived with his family in West Babylon, Long Island, was renamed for the longtime and dedicated cop.
Midwood Road in West Babylon was transformed into Officer Peter Figoski Way on Saturday, when NYPD Police Commissioner Ray Kelly joined Figoski’s family, including his daughters Christine, Caitlyn, Caroline and Corinne, and hundreds of other people for the renaming ceremony.
“Today, on what would have been his 49th birthday, we add one more assurance that Detective Figoski’s legacy will not be forgotten,” Kelly told the crowd, as seen on television news reports.
“It’s really gut-wrenching,” Kelly continued. “His four beautiful daughters are left to navigate the world on their own. I can tell you that for the New York City Police Department, we pride ourselves on never forgetting.”
Figoski, a 47-year-old decorated officer, was shot while responding to a robbery in progress in East New York with his partner, Officer Glenn Estrada in the early morning hours of Dec. 12, 2011. Figoski was shot by one of the robbers as he blocked an exit to an area where the suspects were cornered. He died later that morning at Jamaica Hospital Medical Center.
A man beloved by his family, friends and colleagues, Figoski was promoted posthumously to detective and awarded the Medal of Honor from the NYPD.
Four men have been sentenced in Figoski’s death. Two Ozone Park residents, Kevin Santos, 32, and Nelson Morales, 29, received life sentences in June for the officer’s murder, and Ariel Tejada, also of Ozone Park, is serving 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to murder and burglary charges. Lamont Pride, of North Carolina, who shot Figoski in the face as he attempted to flee the scene, is serving 45 years to life after he was convicted in February. Ozone Park resident Michael Velez was acquitted of murder and burglary charges earlier in February.
Cypress Hills Cemetery, located not far from where the officer was shot, is sponsoring a 5K race to raise money for Figoski’s family.
The participant fee for the event on Sunday, Sept. 8 at 9 a.m. will be $25, and the money collected from the registrations, as well as donations, will go to support Figoski’s four daughters’ education. For those interested in participating in the Cypress Hills race, registration begins at 8 a.m. or register online by going to www.cypresshillscemetery.org. For more information about the event, contact Anthony Desmond at (718) 251-6934 or email anthonydesmond@cypresshillscemetery.org.
Figoski’s family members have said how important it is to them to keep the officer’s memory alive.
“The thought that it has been over a year and a half since we have last heard your voice and [seen] your face kills me,” Caitlyn Figoski recently wrote on a Facebook page dedicated to her father. “I miss you more and more everyday. I will love you always and can’t wait to see you again.”
By Anna Gustafson
