{"id":298333,"date":"2026-07-17T02:02:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T02:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/298333\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T02:02:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T02:02:16","slug":"nypd-academy-renamed-after-storied-fallen-hero-det-steven-d-mcdonald","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/298333\/","title":{"rendered":"NYPD Academy renamed after storied fallen hero Det. Steven D. McDonald"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NYPD\u2019s Police Academy was officially renamed <\/a>Thursday after one of the department\u2019s most storied fallen heroes who inspired his brothers in blue by spreading a message of forgiveness \u2013 even to the teen who nearly took his life.<\/p>\n

The sprawling 30-acre Queens campus, responsible for the training of New York\u2019s Finest, now bears the name of Det. Steven D. McDonald \u2013 42 years to the day that he joined the academy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI know that it would be Steven\u2019s wish and prayer that the women and men who enter this academy will always be very proud of putting on their uniforms and going out into the streets of this great city to serve and protect others \u2014 especially the most vulnerable, and most importantly, to finish their tour safely and to go home to their loved ones,\u201d said the hero detective\u2019s widow, Patti Ann McDonald.<\/p>\n

The NYPD police academy now bears the name of Det. Steven D. McDonald \u2013 42 years to the day that he joined the academy. James Keivom for NY Post<\/p>\n

McDonald had only two years on the job in July 1986 when a 15-year-old robbery suspect shot him three times in Central Park \u2013 with one of the bullets shattering the then-29-year-old cop\u2019s spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.<\/p>\n

McDonald, though wheelchair-bound and hooked up to a breathing device, lived for over three more decades<\/a>, even forgiving the teen who nearly took his life, Shavod Jones.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor 30-and-a-half years confined to a wheelchair, Dad never gave up. He believed that his story of love, forgiveness, and perseverance could change not only New York City, but the world,\u201d said his son, NYPD Capt. Conor McDonald<\/a>, now an executive officer for the department\u2019s Deputy Commissioner of Public Information. \u201cThat\u2019s how special and contagious my father\u2019s love was.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad told me that he kept living not only for our family, but also to honor the cops that never made it home,\u201d he added, as a nod to those present whose loved ones were killed in the line of duty.<\/p>\n

During the unveiling, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed that the academy now features an exhibit that displays McDonald\u2019s wheelchair and ventilator, replicas of his shields and photos from the days he was promoted.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The academy now features an exhibit that displays McDonald\u2019s wheelchair and ventilator. Paul Martinka for NY Post<\/p>\n

\u201cSteven understood what this place represented, the future of the department, and the beginning of a life in service to New York City,\u201d the top cop said. \u201cIt is fitting then that a new exhibit inside of this academy will preserve pieces of Steven\u2019s own life and career.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat he endured, what he made of it, and what he gave this department could have come only from him,\u201d she added. \u201cForty-two years ago today, Steven McDonald\u2019s career began at the police academy. From this day forward, his example will begin here too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Seven new signs bearing McDonald\u2019s name were also added to the state-of-the-art training facility, funded by the New York City Police Foundation, a spokesperson said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

McDonald was admired among the ranks for forgiving the teen who nearly took his life. James Keivom for NY Post<\/p>\n

Capt. Conor McDonald (center) said his father believed his story of \u201clove, forgiveness, and perseverance\u201d could change the world. James Keivom for NY Post<\/p>\n

The academy\u2019s new name was ceremonially unveiled as onlookers applauded and bag pipers played.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat a gift that his love for this institution will live on in the generations of graduates who will find strength in his example,\u201d Mayor Zohran Mamdani said. <\/p>\n

\u201cAs each class of officers graduate, they will face the difficult situations that their training prepared them for, and as they walk the beat, as they weigh what is right and wrong, as they search for the strength to go on, they will be guided by Detective McDonald\u2019s legacy, and our city will be all the better for it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NYPD\u2019s Police Academy was officially renamed Thursday after one of the department\u2019s most storied fallen heroes who…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":298334,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[27758,57,9,24,55,54,37351,56,103,241,54961,58],"class_list":["post-298333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-detectives","tag-metro","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-city-headlines","tag-new-york-city-news","tag-new-york-police-academy","tag-ny","tag-nypd","tag-police-officers","tag-steven-mcdonald","tag-us-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298333","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298333"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298333\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/298334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}