The NYPD on Monday honored dozens of New York’s Finest for racing into action during the deadly mass shooting at a Midtown office building that left a cop and three others dead.
In all, 194 Big Apple officers received awards for “meritorious” or “excellent” police work on July 28, when deranged gunman Shane Tamura stormed into the Park Avenue high-rise and opened fire, killing cop Didarul Islam and three civilians before turning the gun on himself.
The brazen massacre prompted a massive and immediate response from the NYPD, which swarmed the building and secured it before any more victims could be mowed down.
“Your actions on July 28 reaffirmed an enduring truth that the NYPD is and always will be the primary guardian of this city,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at a ceremony at police headquarters in Manhattan.
“When others sought safety, you stepped forward,” she said. “When uncertainty took hold, you brought clarity. When danger appeared without any warning, you stood as a barrier between harm and the people of New York City. That is the nobility of policing. It is not abstract. It is live.”
Tisch was joined by the fallen officer’s family, who declined to speak to reporters.
The top cop handed out “excellent police duty” awards to 188 responding officers, and “meritorious police duty” awards to six who were lauded for “valuable police service demonstrating special faithfulness or perseverance, or highly credible acts of police service over a period of time.”
The tragic shooting rocked the city.
Tamura, a 27-year-old Las Vegas casino security guard, walked into the 44-story building with an assault rifle around 6:30 p.m. and opened fire in the lobby, mortally wounding Islam, 36, a married veteran cop.
He then turned the weapon on Wesley LePatner, a 43-year-old executive with Blackstone and a married mom of two, and security guard Aland Etienne, 46, who sought refuge behind a desk, killing them both before heading to the elevators.
Police said the maniac, who had a history of mental health issues. was targeting the National Football League, which has offices in the building, over a perceived injury from playing high school ball.
But Tamura got off on the wrong floor, and instead walked into the 33rd-floor offices of Rudin Properties, where he shot the first person he encountered — Julia Hyman, a 27-year-old assistant at the firm.
Cops said Tamura also fired at cleaning woman Sebije Nelovic, who managed to duck into a closet and survived, before turning the gun on himself — falling where police later found him dead.
Islam, the first casualty of the horror, was posthumously promoted to the rank of detective.
“Detective Islam with the embodiment of quiet strength,” Tisch said at Monday’s awards ceremony. “He did not seek recognition. He did not raise his voice. He lived a life defined by faith, by humility and by service to others, his family, his community, his city.”
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