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<\/p>\nNEW YORK (WABC) — The newest members of the NYPD were honored with a special ceremony at Madison Square Garden on Monday, and among them was a young man who was inspired by the veteran detective who saved his life more than a decade ago.<\/p>\n
In this exact moment, Justin Acevedo’s journey is both complete and just beginning.<\/p>\n
“Joe was always so kind and cared for everyone else and he would be very proud of me today,” Acevedo said.<\/p>\n
The 23-year-old is part of the graduating class of NYPD recruits who are stepping into the roll of officer.<\/p>\n
As the commissioner put it, Justin is carrying forward the example of the man who saved his life, the late Det. Jose Rosario, aka Joe.<\/p>\n
“All I remember him saying, swim, swim, swim, swim, I’ll be right behind you,” Acevedo said.<\/p>\n
While vacationing in Puerto Rico in 2015, a then 11-year-old Justin was in the water with Joe, his son Noah and several other kids. Everyone was close to shore but Joe and Justin were pulled out into rough water.<\/p>\n
“He picked me up on a rock, he let me catch my breath and he said, OK you are going to start swimming,” Acevedo said. “When I got to the shore, I turned around and he was no longer… I couldn’t see him with my eyes.”<\/p>\n
Joe didn’t make it out alive.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A photo of the late Det. Jose Rosario.<\/p>\n
In the dark days that followed, Justin remembers seeing how other officers rallied around the family and he knew he wanted to part of the NYPD.<\/p>\n
“His mom actually called me and told me the good news, she was so happy and proud,” said Joe’s widow Inez Rosario.<\/p>\n
Now Noah is also in the process of joining the NYPD.<\/p>\n
“My dad’s the type of guy where he put himself last, he’s watching over us, I know he’s watching over us, and I know he’s with us here today,” Noah said.<\/p>\n
Years before Joe rushed to save Justin, he helped another person — his nephew who was in a swimming pool on the verge of going under.<\/p>\n
“My father is always in the right place at the right time, he jumped straight in the water and saved my cousin,” Noah said.<\/p>\n
Following in Joe’s footsteps is the kind of person and officer that Justin pledges to be.<\/p>\n
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