NEW YORK – The NYPD promoted 177 officers in a ceremony Friday, including two officers whose fathers were also in the NYPD and were shot in the line of duty.
They told CBS New York’s Shosh Bedrosian they’ve wanted to follow in their fathers’ footsteps since they were young.
Son of NYPD Det. Steven McDonald promoted to captain
NYPD Det. Steven McDonald was known as a hero in New York City . He survived being shot three times back in 1986 and was paralyzed for decades. He even forgave the gunman who changed his life forever .
On Friday, his 38-year-old son, Conor, was promoted to captain at the NYPD’s April promotion ceremony.
“This is one rank my dad discussed with me, that it was his dream and my dream,” said Capt. Conor McDonald.
“It was a path that he chose and I’m very proud of him, and he proved to me that it was something that he wanted,” said his mother, Patti-Ann.
McDonald was newly married to his wife Patti-Ann and was pregnant with Conor when he was shot on the job. Conor watched his father bring communities together for years, before he died in 2017 . McDonald now walks the shoes of his own father using his words and legacy to guide him.