NYPD commissioner steps up with ‘sea of blue' after cop, 3 others killed in office attack
36-year-old Didarul Islam, an immigrant from Bangladesh, was working as a paid detail providing security to the office building – a common way for uniformed NYPD officers to earn overtime pay.
"This officer was just trying to make a couple extra dollars to pay the bills," NYPD Sgt. Joe Imperatrice, co-founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, told Fox News Digital. "And he ends up getting killed by a person that was absolutely deranged, which is even more sad because he didn't have to be there."
Islam encountered the shooter, 27-year-old Shane Tamura, in the lobby of the office building, who immediately opened fire on the uniformed officer, according to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Islam, along with three other people in the building, were killed in the attack.
Islam was a four-year veteran of the department and the father to two children, with a third on the way.
"He made the ultimate sacrifice," Tisch said. "Shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise that he made to this city."
The NYPD and the New York City Mayor's Office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
Imperatrice pointed to the events that likely transpired in the immediate aftermath of Islam's death between law enforcement and his immediate family, as officials met with the officer's loved ones to deliver the tragic news.
"They send officers to the house to pick up the family and let them know something happened," Imperatrice said. "They don't normally just come out and say the worst. They say, 'Listen, something's happened,' and they end up bringing the family to the hospital."
Once at the hospital, the family likely met with high-level New York City officials, mental health counselors and clergy upon receiving the news that their loved one was killed.
"That's the hardest thing for these families," Imperatrice told Fox News Digital. "They didn't think for one second that their son, husband or father wasn't going to come home when they walked through those doors. They thought it was a normal day."
The reality facing countless families of law enforcement throughout the nation is one that can keep them living in constant fear of the unthinkable, with tragedy leading to a very public grieving process.
"When tragedy strikes, their grief is compounded by the public nature of the loss," Jonathan Alpert, a New York City-based psychotherapist and author of "Therapy Nation," told Fox News Digital. "They mourn privately while also feeling the weight of their loved one's role as a public servant. This can bring pride and comfort, but it can also create pressure to remain strong and composed when inside they may feel shattered."
In the wake of losing an officer to such senseless violence, Tisch is being heralded for her response in a time of crisis.
"She lost one of her cops," Imperatrice said. "You know, being the head of the largest police department in the world, you're going to be rattled."
The praise is echoed by Alpert, who cites the department's shielding of Islam's family in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.
"From what we've seen, Commissioner Tisch and the NYPD moved quickly to provide support, protect the family's privacy, and honor the officer's sacrifice," Alpert said. "Shielding the family in those first hours is important. It allows them to begin processing their grief without being immediately thrust into the public eye, and it sends a clear message that they are not alone."
In a show of strength, Tisch stood alongside New York City Mayor Eric Adams and PBA President Patrick Hendry to offer the department's condolences to Islam's family.
"He died as he lived," Tisch said. "A hero."
In the wake of Islam's tragic murder, Imperatrice insists the death of a fellow officer reopens old wounds for members of law enforcement everywhere, especially one year after NYPD officer Jonathan Diller was shot and killed in the line of duty.
"You pray to God, you pray to every star that we are never going to get that phone call," Imperatrice said. "But once again, the sea of blue is going to come out from all across the nation. It's going to send a lightning bolt through everyone's spine and [they will] realize how precious life is but how evil life can be as well."
Islam is one of four victims gunned down by the shooter, with authorities identifying security officer Aland Etienne, Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner and an unnamed Rudin employee among the deceased.
However, Imperatrice stresses that Islam will be memorialized as a hero by the NYPD and his loved ones will always have the backing of the department.
"[Islam's] name is going to be put on so many different walls, so he's basically immortal," Imperatrice said. "But the family just gained over 30,000 officers that are going to be their new family – brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles – and they're going to be by their side, at their beck and call, through their hardest times during the first couple of days and weeks until the end of time."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Who Would Benefit the Most From Trump's Proposed Income Tax Plan?
It seems like an intriguing idea: President Donald Trump has talked about the possibility of tariffs replacing income taxes. It's certainly not a new thought. As noted by SmartAsset, it's similar to early American money policy where tariffs were the primary revenue source for the federal government. Check Out: Learn More: While some economists and policymakers have questioned the viability of such a plan, if it were to happen, here's who financial experts told GOBankingRates might benefit the most. Also see how paychecks would look in each state if Trump dropped federal income tax. Benefits for High-Income Earners According to Anastasia Atamanchuk, CPA, a tax partner at Gursey Schneider, at first glance, replacing federal income taxes with tariffs may look like a straightforward shift from earners to consumers. With that, the winners and losers may seem clear. 'High-income individuals, who pay the lion's share of income taxes, would benefit from eliminating those taxes,' Atamanchuk said. 'In contrast, low-income earners, who spend nearly all of what they make — often on imported goods — would bear a disproportionate share of the new tax burden, much like what happens when a state replaces income taxes with higher sales taxes.' Read Next: Benefits for Businesses 'The winners here include the rich and businesses that do business at home. They would be looking at a swap of wiping out progressive income taxes while taxing border adjustments,' said Dennis Shirshikov, head of growth and engineering at Growth Limit and an adjunct finance professor at the City University of New York. In addition, according to Shirshikov, high net worth households, who save or invest a large fraction of their earnings and do not spend that money on imported consumer goods, could therefore find that their marginal tax falls to zero, whereas their private costs could be negligible. Meanwhile, per Shirshikov, domestic producers in protected industries, steel, aluminum, furniture and even some agri-processors, would also have an easier time, as higher tariffs on imports would provide a barrier against low-cost foreign competition. Economic Impacts When you look beyond that first layer, according to Atamanchuk, the deeper and more uncertain impact lies in how much such a fundamental restructuring would ripple through the economy. 'Tariffs don't just raise prices — they reshape supply chains, consumer demand and potentially global trade relations,' Atamanchuk said. 'We've already seen how sensitive financial markets are to tariff announcements. Even before implementation, such policies can trigger stock sell-offs, disrupt imports and unsettle business planning.' Editor's note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on More From GOBankingRates Mark Cuban Says Trump's Executive Order To Lower Medication Costs Has a 'Real Shot' -- Here's Why This article originally appeared on Who Would Benefit the Most From Trump's Proposed Income Tax Plan? Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNN
8 minutes ago
- CNN
A man accused of killing four people at a Montana bar is still on the run. Here's what we know
Parts of a national forest near Anaconda, Montana, were closed late Saturday as authorities expanded their search for the gunman accused of killing four people at a bar on Friday morning. The suspect, identified as Army veteran Michael Paul Brown, was seen on security footage fleeing The Owl Bar, where the fatal shooting occurred, investigators said. He was last seen in the Stump Town area, west of Anaconda, according to The Associated Press. Authorities have locked down Barker Lake and the surrounding area inside the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest as local, state and federal agencies continue their search by land and air, a Montana Department of Justice spokesperson said. On Friday, local law enforcement warned that Brown is 'armed and extremely dangerous.' 'It's okay to go about your business in town but please use caution,' Anaconda Deer-Lodge County Chief Bill Sather said in a Saturday update on Facebook, urging residents to call 911 if they see the gunman. Here's what else we know: Details about what led up to the shooting in the usually peaceful backcountry remain unclear. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation said the shooting took place at the Owl Bar at 10:30 a.m. and the scene is now secure. As of early Sunday, the bar is listed as 'temporarily closed' online. Cassandra Dutra, a bartender at the establishment, told CNN she felt extremely overwhelmed and sad by the incident. Brown lived next door to the bar and would come in frequently, she said, but noted 'he wasn't a part of the camaraderie' among other customers. Dutra was not working on Friday, but said she lived nearby and heard noises during the shooting. At first, she didn't think anything of it because there was construction outside the bar. When she heard there was a shooting, she did not immediately realize people had been hurt. 'I didn't immediately panic because I just know the atmosphere in the Owl … it never occurred to me that anybody was hurt,' she said. David Gwerder, the owner of The Owl Bar, told the AP he was unaware of any conflicts between Brown and anyone who was in the bar Friday morning. 'He knew everybody that was in that bar. I guarantee you that,' Gwerder told the AP. 'He didn't have any running dispute with any of them. I just think he snapped.' Details about what led up to the shooting in the usually peaceful backcountry remain unclear. CNN has reached out to Gwerder for comment. Brown was part of an armored vehicle crew in the US Army from January 2001 to May 2005, and was deployed to Iraq from February 2004 to March 2005, Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, a spokesperson with the US Army, told CNN in an email Saturday. He later joined the Montana National Guard from April 2006 to March 2009 and left military service as a sergeant, Castro said. Brown's niece, Clare Boyle, told CNN her uncle was a veteran who struggled with mental health in the Army, and he wasn't the same after his service. His condition worsened after the passing of his parents, Boyle told CNN. She described him as 'very sick' but also recalled some happy moments, such as learning to ride a bike and fishing with him. Boyle expressed remorse and heartbreak for the victims' families, noting that five families were 'destroyed' on Friday. The Army declined to release information about Brown's mental health history citing policy and privacy constraints. In addition to Barker Lake in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, where Brown is suspected of having escaped to, authorities are also searching the area around Stumptown Road, north of the lake. Anaconda resident Dan Haffey, who previously served as a fire foreman for the Montana Division of Forestry, told CNN his team would cut trails into the mountain for hikers. 'There's a thousand places to hide on that mountain,' he said. 'I've been on forest fires and in that drainage up there, and they're 5,000 acres … That mountain is gigantic.' Resident Randy Clark, who lives near Highway 1 and Stumptown Road told CNN helicopter searches near his home continued until about 11 p.m. on Friday and resumed at 6 a.m. Saturday. He said he heard authorities shouting on Friday, but he couldn't tell if they were yelling at the suspect or communicating with each other. 'I heard a bunch of sirens and stuff and saw the state troopers and local police flying down Highway 1, west toward Philipsburg,' he said. '(They) stopped directly across from where I live. You could see the blue lights and stuff, everything.' A white Ford F-150 truck that Brown drove was found after the shooting on Friday, but he 'was not located in or around the vehicle,' Montana Division of Criminal Investigation Administrator Lee Johnson said at a news conference. Anaconda Deer-Lodge County Police Chief Bill Sather said Saturday the FBI, the Denver office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Granite County Sheriff's Office were assisting with the investigation. Johnson said Friday that investigators have identified the four victims of the shooting, though authorities will not release their names until all families are notified. Dutra, the bartender at the Owl Bar, believes every person at the establishment during the shooting was killed, which included a bartender who was the only staff member working, and three customers. CNN's Taylor Romine, Josh Campbell, Taylor Galgano, Danya Gainor contributed to this report.
Fox News
8 minutes ago
- Fox News
From Washington: Top Biden Aides Face Questions In Autopen Probe
This past week, former aides of President Biden answered questions before the House Oversight Committee regarding the former President's mental decline. FOX News Senior Congressional Correspondent Chad Pergram discusses the status of the probe and how lawmakers plan to approach future politicians who face similar issues. Chad also examines upcoming congressional retirements and their impact on the next election cycle. Later, Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) discusses her efforts to block China from buying America's farmland. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit
