The NYPD Police Academy in College Point will soon bear the name of Detective Steven McDonald, the Malverne native whose life story left a lasting mark on both Long Island and New York City.
In 1986, McDonald was shot three times by a 15-year-old suspect while investigating a bicycle theft in Central Park. McDonald, just 29-years-old at the time and with two years on the job, was left paralyzed from the neck down.
What followed, however, is what made his story widely known.
Rather than focusing on anger or revenge, McDonald chose forgiveness. He publicly forgave the teen who shot him and spent the rest of his life speaking about peace, responsibility and reconciliation.
In a post on X on Sunday, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch wrote “Detective Steven McDonald will be forever a blessing to the New York City Police Department.”
McDonald died in 2017 from complications related to his injuries, but his legacy has continued through memorials across the region — including parks, roadways and public spaces named in his honor.
His family has played a central role in keeping that legacy alive.
His son, Conor McDonald, now serves as an NYPD captain, while his widow, Patti Ann McDonald, remains active in events that highlight his message of compassion and service.
The renaming in his honor is set for July 16, exactly 42 years after McDonald first joined the department.
Top: Conor McDonald holds the microphone for his father, Detective Steven McDonald, as the McDonald family receives the Spirit of Giving Award at the Kelly Cares Foundation’s 5th Annual Irish Eyes Gala at the JW Marriot Essex House, on Monday, March 16, 2015 in New York. (Photo by Stuart Ramson/Invision for Kelly Cares Foundation/AP Images)
