In memory of NYPD (retired) Detective William Brown

PHOTO CREDIT: NYPD

The thin blue line - a symbol of camaraderie and devotion between fellow officers - is really not all that thin. It runs deep. It is an eternal bond within the police family.

I read this heartwarming story earlier this year and archived it so I could share it with you. This is a story about NYPD (retired) Detective William Brown who almost died alone and forgotten, that is, until his NYPD family stepped in.   
                              
At 95-years-old, this retired detective was frail, he was feeble, and he was alone. 

This story begins in the winter of 2015 when a neighbor called 311 to ask the police to visit Mr. Brown because she hadn't seen him for a few days. He had recently complained that his house had no heat and the temperatures were nearing zero. 

Officers with the 113th Precinct visited Mr. Brown's home and found it empty and in disarray. The furnace was broken and his home was cold. They eventually found Mr. Brown in the hospital where he was being treated for hypothermia. It didn't take the officers long to realize they were in the presence of a retired NYPD police officer -- one of their own.

PHOTO CREDIT: NYPd

However, serving as an NYPD officer was not Mr. Brown's whole life. In World War II, he fought with the 369th Infantry, known as the Harlem Hellfighters - an all African American infantry unit. In the 1940s, he became a New York City police officer. After retirement, he became a gifted jazz musician who played the saxophone and would "jam with any band."

Mr. Brown's 20 year career with the NYPD ended in 1968 with the rank of detective. During that time he received several honors from the department. In 1960, for rescuing a woman and her child from a burning building, in 1962 for apprehending a man with a loaded gun, and in 1964, for arresting an armed burglar.

The department's loyalty and appreciation for one of their own came full circle during the retired detective's final months. They sought help from a local church to have the heat restored in the home where Mr. Brown lived for 60 years. They secured his veterans benefits, escorted him to doctor appointments, and visited every Sunday to check on him. They showed this officer that his service to the NYPD meant something. 

On May 20, 2016, Detective Brown died. With no family or next of kin to claim his body, he was destined to be buried on Hart Island, the city's potters field. But the officers of the 113th intervened to ensure he would have a proper farewell. They arranged a funeral fit for hero, where hundreds of current and former NYPD paid tribute, and they further arranged for his burial at Long Island National Cemetery.

In the end, when it mattered the most, Detective William Brown was no longer alone. He was surrounded by his police family, and he was loved.    

                                                                                 ♥

Photo Credit: DEBBIE EGAN-CHIN/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS

Story Credits

Mary McDonnell and Graham Rayman / New York Daily News - Click here.