Steven McDonald, NYPD detective turned global peace messenger after getting shot, dies

Jan. 10, 2017

A hero NYPD detective, known for forgiving a gunman who left him paralyzed, has died days after suffering a heart attack. He was 59.

Steven McDonald died shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday at North Shore University Hospital, where he’d been admitted Friday, NYPD Commissioner James O’Neill said.

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He publicly forgave the teen shooter, Shavod Jones, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

In the years after the shooting, McDonald became one of the world’s foremost pilgrims for peace. In 1995 he met with Pope John Paul II. That same year he was promoted to detective. He spoke at two Republican conventions.

In 2004, he was promoted to detective first grade.

McDonald took his message of forgiveness to Israel, Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

“No one could have predicted that Steven would touch so many people, in New York and around the world,” said Commissioner O’Neill. “Like so many cops, Steven joined the NYPD to make a difference in people’s lives. And he accomplished that every day. He is a model for each of us as we go about our daily lives. He will be greatly missed, and will always remain a part of our family.”

Pat Lynch, president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, called McDonald “a true American hero.”

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