Steven McDonald, NYPD Hero Cop Disabled On Duty, Dies At 59

MANHASSET, LONG ISLAND — Steven McDonald, who became one of the NYPD's most widely recognized heroes when he returned to duty after barely surviving a 1986 shooting in Central Park, died Tuesday at the age of 59, according to city officials.

“No one could have predicted that Steven would touch so many people, in New York and around the world,” NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said Tuesday. “Like so many cops, Steven joined the NYPD to make a difference in people’s lives. And he accomplished that every day. He is a model for each of us as we go about our daily lives. He will be greatly missed, and will always remain a part of our family.”

McDonald reportedly went into cardiac arrest last Friday — and was put on life support — after mucus became clogged in the permanent respirator he used to breathe. He was declared dead around 1 p.m. Tuesday at North Shore University Hospital on Long Island.

Before he had even served two years on the force, in 1986, McDonald was shot and nearly killed by a 15-year-old suspected bicycle thief in Central Park.

The rookie officer survived but lived the rest of his life as a quadriplegic and could breathe only with assistance.

"Detective McDonald has been a unique source of inspiration and unrivaled pride to people the world over," the NYPD said Tuesday. "A quadriplegic, he visited police station houses, schools, church groups and more, spreading his message of faith, forgiveness, and peace."

In the three decades after he was shot, McDonald reportedly traveled to war zones around the world to spread awareness; met with the pope and Nelson Mandela; and became the first person in a wheelchair to "march" in New York City's own St. Patrick’s Day Parade, after which he convinced parade organizers to let other disabled people do the same.

McDonald also famously offered his forgiveness to Shavod Jones, the 15-year-old who shot him in Central Park.

The near-fallen hero is survived by his wife Patti Ann McDonald and his son Conor, who was conceived not long before the Central Park shooting and who himself went on to become an NYPD sergeant.

Lead photo via the Sergeants Benevolent Association/Facebook