![\"Taurean](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EQYCAYBMHNFAFPUM2XJL52F53I.jpg\"\/)
Taurean Williams-Wells pictured around the age he was when he responded to Ground Zero.Courtesy of Heather Williams<\/p>\nSTATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 At just 17 years old, Taurean E. Williams-Wells was known as the \u201cgentle giant\u201d; a towering figure with a quiet demeanor and a deep sense of duty. <\/p>\n
As an Auxiliary Police officer, the Stapleton resident wasn\u2019t required to respond to the chaos of Sept. 11, 2001. <\/p>\n
However, without telling his family, Taurean made his way to Ground Zero in the days following the attacks and joined recovery efforts alongside seasoned officers and first responders, according to his mother.<\/p>\n
It wasn\u2019t until after his 2012 death that his family made a discovery \u2014 hidden in a box of papers were certificates of appreciation from the NYPD and former state Sen. Vincent Gentile, recognizing his presence at Ground Zero.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe never told us,\u201d said Heather Williams, Taurean\u2019s mother. \u201cHe just went. He was a kid, but he felt it was his duty.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taurean Williams-Wells pictured around the age he was when he responded to Ground Zero.Courtesy of Heather Williams<\/p>\n
Taurean\u2019s health rapidly deteriorated following his service. He suffered kidney failure, respiratory issues, and what his mother described as \u201chyper-depression.\u201d <\/p>\n
His death at age 28 was a devastating blow to his family, made worse by the silence that followed.<\/p>\n
For years, the mother pleaded with the NYPD and city officials to recognize her son\u2019s sacrifice. Her requests encountered bureaucratic roadblocks and went unanswered.<\/p>\n
Despite possessing a certificate recognizing his service at Ground Zero, Taurean\u2019s name remains absent from official records due to a technicality: he had no exposure number on file, and his cause of death was not officially linked to 9\/11-related illness.<\/p>\n
The family was denied access to the 9\/11 Victim Compensation Fund, and Taurean\u2019s name was excluded from memorials honoring fallen heroes.<\/p>\n
![\"Taurean](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/G7OWSZ3TKFCCHFASHZDZ45N3HU.jpg\"\/)
According to police, Taurean Williams Wells was an auxiliary police officer from Aug. 2001 to May 2006. Pictured above (left and right) are the certificates Taurean was awarded for his Ground Zero heroism. In the middle is a certificate and a flag that was flown over the United States Capital in Washington, D.C. by former Rep. Max Rose, after his death in honor of Taurean\u2019s ultimate sacrifice.Courtesy of Heather Williams<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not about money,\u201d Williams emphasized. \u201cIt\u2019s about acknowledgment. My son gave everything, and the city he served won\u2019t even say his name.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspired by the founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Williams, who is also the founder of the non-profit Fam First Foundation Inc.<\/a>, has vowed to continue her fight for recognition. <\/p>\n She\u2019s already secured a street re-naming in Taurean\u2019s honor<\/a> by former Councilwoman Debi Rose in 2020<\/a>, who at the time recognized his work at Ground Zero, as well as recognition from a non-profit based in Long Island. But these tributes came from outside organizations, not city agencies.<\/p>\n Police officials told the Advance\/SILive.com that for Taurean to be officially recognized, his family must submit documentation proving his presence at Ground Zero and a medical diagnosis linking his illness to toxic exposure. <\/p>\n With the certificate in hand, Williams is now preparing to contact the pension fund and formally begin the verification process.<\/p>\n If successful, Taurean could be added to the memorial wall and his family may finally receive the recognition they\u2019ve long sought.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was a hero,\u201d Williams declared. \u201cAnd heroes deserve to be remembered.\u201d<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. \u2014 At just 17 years old, Taurean E. Williams-Wells was known as the \u201cgentle giant\u201d;…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6237,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[9,24,63,134,136,135],"class_list":["post-6236","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-staten-island","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-nyc","tag-staten-island","tag-staten-island-headlines","tag-staten-island-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6236","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=6236"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6236\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6237"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6236"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6236"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6236"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Taurean](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/YILDE4O4LJDUTMSEZCDRAIIAQI.jpg\"\/)
In this photo from 2020, Taurean was honored with a co-street renaming in his honor at the corner of Osgood Avenue and Gordon Street. It is now titled Taurean E. Williams-Wells Way.Courtesy of Heather Williams<\/p>\n![\"Taurean](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/7NAKLQEJX5DLDBKNE5TCIPFMMA.jpg\"\/)
Heather Williams, points to her son\u2019s name engraved in a non-NYPD or city affiliated 9\/11 memorial wall in Long Island.Courtesy of Heather Williams<\/p>\n![\"Taurean](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/D2DOHRSBV5CWFFF2L3OQMMD4GM.jpg\"\/)
Taurean Williams-Wells pictured as a child with his mother Heather Williams.Courtesy of Heather Williams<\/p>\n