Paralyzed detective who forgave shooter eulogized as hero, praised by Trump

NEW YORK -- Steven McDonald, a police officer best known for forgiving a teenage gunman who left him paralyzed in 1986, was remembered at his St. Patrick’s Cathedral funeral on Friday as a hero who never gave in to self-pity and lived a full life despite his disability.

“We learned the right way to live from him,” Mayor Bill de Blasio told McDonald’s widow, Patti Ann, and other mourners packed into the Manhattan church. “He was synonymous with all that is great about our police department and our city.” 

The hearse carrying McDonald’s body arrived at St. Patrick’s Cathedral escorted by police motorcycles and amid the wail of bagpipes, CBS New York reported. 

President-elect Donald Trump called it “a beautiful funeral” and described McDonald as “a real NYC hero.”

“Our law enforcement community has my complete and total support,” Mr. Trump tweeted.

De Blasio and Police Commissioner James O’Neill watched the funeral with scores of police officers as the hearse pulled up in front of the church. They stood in silence as pallbearers took McDonald’s casket inside.

O’Neill said McDonald set an example for other officers at the New York Police Department, the nation’s largest. 

“What we can learn from Steven’s life is this: The cycle of violence that plagues so many lives today can be overcome only by breaking down the walls that separate people,” he said. “The best tools for doing this, Steven taught us, are love, respect, and forgiveness.” 

His son, Conor, is now an NYPD sergeant. He recalled his father as an avid New York Rangers fan and devoted father who would call him every morning at 5 a.m. to say good morning before his son would go on patrol.

“My dad wanted to make sure his time on earth wasn’t wasted,” he said. “He loved the NYPD to the end.” 

“I think the most important thing that we can take away from my father is the fact -- his mission of love and compassion, forgiveness,” he said, CBS New York reported.

The NYPD tweeted about the funeral, posting images and videos of scenes on Friday in Manhattan, where the funeral was held.

“We honor and will #NeverForget Detective Steven McDonald,” one tweet said. “In a sign of respect, thousands of officers lined up this morning on 5th Avenue.”

McDonald, 59, suffered a heart attack last week and died at a Long Island hospital on Tuesday. He had remained on the New York Police Department’s payroll as a detective until his death, but was best known as an international voice for peace and a source of support for other wounded police officers. 

McDonald was on patrol on July 12, 1986, when he spotted bicycle thief Shavod “Buddha” Jones and two other teenagers in Central Park. When he moved to frisk one of them, the 15-year-old Jones shot McDonald three times, with one bullet piercing the officer’s spinal column.

About six months later, with McDonald still struggling to recover, he made a statement about Jones through his wife that defined the rest of his life: “I forgive him and hope he can find peace and purpose in his life.”

In the years following the shooting, McDonald met with Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela, and sat for an interview with Barbara Walters. He also took his message of forgiveness to Israel, Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

After Jones was sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempted murder, McDonald spoke of his hope that the pair would go on speaking tours together to offer a mutual message of peace. But shortly after Jones’ release from prison in 1995, he died in a motorcycle accident. 

In:
• Manhattan
• New York City Police Department
• Bill de Blasio