NYPD Retirees Restore 1987 Chevy Caprice to Honor Fallen Officer
A group of retired NYPD officers is undertaking an emotional restoration project, bringing a historic 1987 Chevy Caprice police car back to life as a tribute to Officer Eddie Byrne, who was assassinated while sitting in the vehicle 37 years ago.
Byrne, just 22 years old, was fatally shot five times in 1988 while guarding the home of a witness in a case against a drug gang in Queens. His murder shocked the city and became a rallying point for law enforcement efforts against organized crime.
Now, retired officers Jason Caputo and John Schwartz, alongside other former members of the NYPD and Nassau County Police Department, are working to restore the very car Byrne was killed in. Their goal is to place the fully restored vehicle on display at the NYPD Police Academy as a permanent reminder of the dangers officers face.
The project has been years in the making, with bureaucratic delays keeping the officers from starting the restoration until recently. In addition to damage sustained during the 1988 attack, the Caprice has suffered extensive wear over time. It was also submerged during Hurricane Sandy and later survived a fire at the Erie Basin NYPD evidence warehouse. Despite these challenges, the team is determined to bring the car back to its original condition.
'Knowing that an officer at the age of 22 was shot because of his uniform, because of the vehicle he sat in, and the job he was doing—it makes this restoration even more meaningful,' Caputo said.
The restoration, expected to cost up to $50,000, will be funded entirely through private donations. The team hopes to complete the project within a year, unveiling it on February 26, the anniversary of Byrne's death. A key feature of the restored car will be a bullet hole still visible in its body, serving as a stark and sobering reminder of the sacrifices made in law enforcement.
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