Latest news with #ChevyCaprice
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
NYPD Retirees Restore 1987 Chevy Caprice to Honor Fallen Officer
⚡️ Read the full article on Motorious 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.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Retired NYPD officers work to restore car of slain officer Eddie Byrne
The Brief Retired NYPD officers are restoring the patrol car of Officer Eddie Byrne, who was ambushed and killed in 1988 while guarding a witness's home in Queens. The 1987 Chevy Caprice, which had deteriorated due to flooding and fire damage, was recently transported to Long Island for restoration after four years of effort. The group aims to complete the restoration by the next anniversary of Byrne's death and display the car at the NYPD Police Academy as a tribute to his sacrifice. NEW YORK - A group of retired NYPD officers and car enthusiasts are working to restore the patrol car that Officer Eddie Byrne was sitting in when he was assassinated 37 years ago. Byrne, just 22 years old, was ambushed and shot five times while guarding a witness's home in Queens in 1988. The vehicle, a 1987 Chevy Caprice, has deteriorated over the years, but the group has finally received permission to restore it and are hoping to display the car at the NYPD Police Academy as a tribute to Byrne's sacrifice. What we know Officer Eddie Byrne was shot and killed on February 26, 1988, while on duty in Queens. He was sitting in his patrol car, guarding the home of a witness when he was ambushed and fatally shot. Now, retired NYPD and Nassau County police officers, including John Schwartz and Jason Caputo, have taken on the task of restoring Byrne's vehicle to honor his memory. "When he was killed, the word went out that, whenever a cop is killed you just show up," Schwartz said. "Whatever I can do. And that's that's what we did." The car, which has been stored at various NYPD auto pounds, suffered significant damage over the years, including from flooding during Superstorm Sandy and a fire at the Erie Basin NYPD warehouse. After four years of efforts, the retired officers successfully transported the vehicle to Long Island for restoration. They estimate the restoration will cost around $50,000, funded by private donations. What they're saying "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's an emotional thing," said Caputo. What's next The group hopes to complete the restoration within the next year, aiming to unveil the car on the anniversary of Byrne's death on February 26. Once completed, they plan to display it at the NYPD Police Academy to educate and remind future generations of officers about the risks and sacrifices of the job. The Source This article was written using information from FOX 5 staff and crews in the field.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Yahoo
NYPD patrol car beloved cop was executed in by drug deal was left for ruin— until now
The bullet-scarred patrol car of NYPD Officer Eddie Byrne — who was executed by a drug dealer as he sat inside — will be brought back to life by some of the cops who were on duty that night 40 years ago, The Post has learned. The estimated $30,000 restoration effort is a labor of love for about a dozen retired officers who will ask the NYPD to install the car at the Police Academy in Queens so young cops can learn about Byrne, 22, who was guarding the home of a witness in a drug dealer's criminal case on Feb. 26, 1988, when he was murdered. 'They wanted to make every police officer afraid to do the dangerous job we do,' Detectives Endowment Association President Scott Munro, whose union is helping to fund the work, said. 'It didn't work. This car tells everyone everywhere that each of us carries Eddie Byrne with us every day.' The hole from the bullet that tore through the passenger's side door will remain on the vehicle as a symbol of Byrne's sacrifice. As it was held as possible evidence, the blue 1987 Chevy Caprice sat in a Red Hook warehouse for about a decade — during which it was damaged by floodwaters from Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and scorched by a fire 10 years later. Today, the patrol car has faded to light blue, and its roof and hood have turned a rusty orange hue. Its tires have been worn away by being dragged by a forklift for inspection, since it no longer runs. 'The roof has caved in on itself from being exposed to the elements for the past 20 years,' said retired Detective Jay Caputo, one of the cops leading the preservation effort. 'The taillights melted and the light bar on top melted from the fire,' Caputo said as he pointed to the car's roof when a reporter visited the Erie Basin Auto Pound in Brooklyn on Wednesday. 'God must still be watching over Eddie, because the car still stands,' added Caputo. Retired NYPD Det. Michael Siraco, who left the job in 2005, and Det. Sgt. Jon Schwartz, who left in 2010, were on duty that night and are among the 10-12 retired NYPD and Nassau County cops who will be working on it after it's moved to a shop in Long Island. 'I was doing the midnight when I heard a radio run come over of a cop shot in the 103 precinct,' Siraco said, recalling the night Byrne was killed. He and other cops immediately started hunting for the suspects. 'We were looking for a Cutlass,' he said. 'At the time, I didn't know that Eddie passed away.' Schwartz had just gotten off work but returned upon hearing a brother-in-blue had been shot. 'We turned Queens upside down looking for these guys,' Schwartz said. Eventually, the four killers, Philip Copeland, Todd Scott, Scott Cobb, and David McClary, were caught and eventually imprisoned. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch pointed out that Byrne 'was just 22-years-old when his life was taken while protecting New Yorkers.' ''The restoration of Officer Byrne's patrol car will serve as a tribute to his sacrifice and the NYPD's commitment to never forget the memory of our fallen officers,' the commissioner said. The work will be funded by donations from The NYPD Police Foundation and the Detectives Endowment Association.
