Photo Courtesy of NYPD
Earlier this year, McNaughton’s name was added to the National Law Enforcement Officer’s Memorial in Washington, D.C.
By Michael V. Cusenza
In a press conference on Thursday touting citywide crime statistics Police Commissioner Jim O’Neill singled out the service of war hero James McNaughton, a Middle Village resident who 12 years ago last Wednesday became the first NYPD officer killed in action in Iraq.
“Jimmy joined the Army in 1996, was honorably discharged five years later in the summer of 2001, he immediately reenlisted in the Reserves and joined the NYPD the very next day. Jimmy was deployed to Iraq in 2004, and then on August 2nd, 2005, while training Iraq police while up in a guard tower, Jimmy was struck and killed by a sniper’s bullet,” O’Neill said. “At just 27 years old Jimmy gave more to this city and this nation than every one of us will ever. His service to this police department was in his blood with both parents and his fiancée serving in the NYPD too. I spoke to his dad Bill last night. We miss him like we miss all our heroes, and we’ll always honor their memories.”
