An accountant who felt a calling to become a cop and was killed with just five years on the job by a gunman in a stolen car was honored by the NYPD on Friday.
Dillon Stewart, 35, went to pull the driver over in East Flatbush on Nov. 28, 2005, when the gunman fired through the window, missing the cop’s bullet-proof vest by less than a quarter inch and piercing his heart.
The father of two young children chased the perp for a couple of blocks and got out to chase him on foot before realizing he was shot. Those actions helped his colleagues catch the killer. Stewart died right after surgery on the gunshot wound.
This week, the NYPD named the largest, newest and fastest member of its Harbor fleet after Stewart.
It will be used to support equipment and personnel for the SCUBA team’s search and rescue operations and seaside inspections under the department’s counterterrorism mission.
“The new launch is named for a true hero of the Police Department who gave his life for the people of this city,” Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said. “Dillon Stewart was a model police officer with unlimited potential. He possessed the instincts, the composure, and the eye for detail that helped him to excel in every aspect of police work. It’s a tangible symbol of the cause to which Dillon Stewart devoted his life.”
The cop was assigned to the 70th Precinct’s midnight conditions team and canvassed troubled hotspots in Brooklyn for violent criminals and weapons. He was promoted from officer to first-grade detective and given the Medal of Honor posthumously.
His wife Leslyn and their two daughters, Alexis and Samantha attended Friday’s event and were all smiles when they joined Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and got into the boat named after their heroic dad.
The killer, Allan Cameron, is serving life behind bars without parole.
Republished with permission of The New York Post
