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New York Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
End of watch for ex-NYPD Commish Bernie Kerik, 1955-2025
Former NYPD commissioner Bernard Kerik, 'America's Cop,' who helped make New York the safest big city in America and led the department through the 9/11 terror attack, passed away Thursday at 69. A high-school dropout from Paterson, NJ, he joined the Army and eventually earned his GED while stationed at Fort Bragg (and, much later, a college degree). A few years after leaving the service, he joined the NYPD in 1986, earning the department's Medal of Valor for saving his partner in a gun battle. He shifted to the Department of Correction in '94, rising to head it in '98. At DOC, he led a complete turnaround of the Rikers Island jail complex, ending an epidemic of inmate violence. In 2000, recalled his old boss, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, 'He became police commissioner when they thought crime couldn't be reduced any further, yet he reduced it further. His work helped New York become the safest big city in America and a shining example of urban renaissance.' In his 16 months as the city's top cop, he was lauded for his hands-on leadership — even making five arrests, plus collaring two ex-cons driving a stolen van in Harlem — and presiding over a 63% drop in violent crime. He'd just written a memoir of his rise, 'The Lost Son,' when the planes hit the towers. After 9/11, Kerik's work overseeing NYPD rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero led to his honorary appointment as a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire and brought him to the attention of President George W. Bush, who tapped him to organize Iraq's provisional police force and then named him to head the newly-created Department of Homeland Security. Then the roof fell in, as the vetting process uncovered some stupid mistakes that torpedoed the nomination and eventually led him to plead guilty to federal tax fraud and do four years' hard time. Yet Kerik bounced back, eventually penning his second best-seller, 'From Jailer to Jailed: My Journey from Correction and Police Commissioner to Inmate #84888-054.' He devoted much of his later years to prison issues and (sensible) criminal-justice reform. Bernard Kerik was a cop's cop. Rest in peace.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Bernard Kerik remembered as ‘fearless' NYPD leader who helped guide NYC through 9/11
Former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik was remembered as a 'fearless' leader who helped New Yorkers get through the darkest days of the 9/11 terror attacks before his death Thursday. The ex-Big Apple top cop, 69, died surrounded by family from a heart-related condition following a high-profile career in law enforcement that had its triumphs and controversies. 'He became police commissioner when they thought crime couldn't be reduced any further, yet he reduced it further. His work helped New York become the safest big city in America and a shining example of urban renaissance,' former mayor Rudy Giuliani said in a statement. 'Then he faced the worst foreign attack since the war of 1812 on American soil—September 11th. He was at my side within 20 minutes of the attack and never left.' 'Bernie's leadership helped guide the people of a very frightened city to draw from their inherent individual strength as Americans and children of God,' added Giuliani, who appointed Kerik police commissioner in 2000. He served about 16 months in the leadership role. 'Bernie could be the most fearless guy I know,' Giuliani also told The Post Thursday night. 'When he was police commissioner, he personally made arrests. You know what that did for morale? The cops loved it. I loved it. The public loved it.' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement that he visited Kerik at the hospital Thursday afternoon, calling him a friend he's known for almost 30 years. 'He was with his loved ones, who are in my prayers tonight,' Adams said. 'He was a great New Yorker and American. Rest in peace, my friend.' Kerik started out as an NYPD cop in 1986 before he left the force to join the city's Department of Correction, being named its commissioner four years later by Giuliani. The former mayor said in his Thursday interview that Kerik excelled at curbing violence at Rikers Island during his stint in charge. '60 Minutes did a piece calling Rikers Island the worst jail complex in America,' he said. 'They came back five years later when Bernie was in charge and they couldn't believe the turnaround they saw.' Guardian Angels founder Curtis Sliwa said he worked with Kerik to help keep New Yorkers safe. 'I remember Bernie when he was an undercover cop in Times Square. He had a ponytail,' Sliwa, who is running for mayor as a Republican, said. 'He was street savvy. He was a street cop. He was a cop's cop.' Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella called Kerik a 'true patriot.' 'Bernie Kerik served our city and nation, well,' he said. 'He was a true patriot, especially during and after September 11th.' Those who knew him personally described him as a loyal supporter and family man. 'In public, he had a tough exterior. Privately, he cherished his family, wife and kids, cops and he was always there for me and my family,' Kathy Vigiano, a retired cop and widow of 9/11 hero Det. Joseph Vigiano said. National figures also poured in their condolences to Kerik's loved ones. 'Heartbroken about the loss of our dear friend Bernie Kerik,' US Attorney General Pam Bondi tweeted. 'Prayers to Bernie's family and many friends.' FBI Director Kash Patel called Kerik 'a warrior, a patriot, and one of the most courageous public servants this country has ever known.' 'His legacy is not just in the medals or the titles, but in the lives he saved, the city he helped rebuild, and the country he served with honor,' Patel said. While Kerik had a remarkable career in law enforcement, including heading up a provisional police force in Iraq following the US invasion of the Middle Eastern nation in 2003, he later served four years in federal prison when he pleaded guilty to eight federal felonies, including tax evasion, in 2009. Additional reporting by Larry Celona.
Straits Times
22-05-2025
- Straits Times
US man who killed wife and her kids executed by lethal injection
Oscar Smith, 75, was convicted of fatally shooting and stabbing his estranged wife, Judy Smith, and her two sons, Chad and Jason Burnett, in 1989. PHOTO: AFP US man who killed wife and her kids executed by lethal injection WASHINGTON - A man sentenced to death for the 1989 murder of his wife and her two sons was executed in Tennessee on May 22, according to the state's Department of Correction. Oscar Smith, 75, was the third death row inmate to be executed in the United States this week, all of which were carried out by lethal injection. Smith was pronounced dead at 10.47am local time (11.47pm in Singapore) at the Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville, Tennessee. He was convicted of fatally shooting and stabbing his estranged wife, Judy Smith, and her two sons, Chad and Jason Burnett, in 1989. Mr Mike Robirds and Ms Terri Osborne, Judy's siblings, said in a statement that the pain of losing their sister and nephews 'is something we will continue to carry.' 'Through our heartbreak, we are reminded of the devastating consequences of domestic violence,' the statement said. 'This tragedy is not only a personal loss – it is part of a much larger issue that affects countless families across our society.' There have been 19 executions in the US this year: 15 by lethal injection, two by firing squad and two using nitrogen gas. The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others – California, Oregon and Pennsylvania – have moratoriums in place. President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and called on his first day in office for an expansion of its use 'for the vilest crimes.' AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Boston Globe
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Uncle of George Floyd speaks at State House rally five years after nephew's murder
Advertisement 'How many George Floyds were there before my nephew?' Jones said during the anniversary event. 'Someone decided they would be judge, jury, and executioner.' Floyd was fatally asphyxiated on May 25, 2020, when Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck and back for nine minutes while Floyd, who had been suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill, repeatedly cried, 'I can't breathe.' Those words became a rallying slogan for the According to Advertisement Despite federal retrenchment, Jones said Floyd's death has made a difference in bringing attention to police brutality. 'I've got hope,' he said. 'Every day you wake up, hope is invented.' In honor of his nephew, Jones co-founded Justice 929, a nonprofit group that works on a broad range of civil rights issues, including wrongful convictions, police brutality, and gun violence. 'We can slow some of these things down,' Jones said, referring to police violence, particularly against Black and brown people. 'But it's hard to teach old dogs new tricks. The new generation has to step up.' Other speakers included the mother and two sisters of His mother, 'My life hasn't been the same,' Sheffield said. 'A big part of my life was stolen, and for what? They weren't looking for the truth.' Nikia Ramsey, Ramsey-White's sister, created the group Better Opportunities as a way to honor her brother and help young people from urban neighborhoods by focusing on social responsibility and life improvement. 'We are not here for pity. We are here for policy,' Ramsey said outside the state Capitol. 'We will never stop fighting in their name.' Jennifer Root Bannon, whose brother Juston Root Advertisement Root was believed to be armed, but actually had pulled a replica gun on a hospital security guard near Brigham and Women's Hospital. His family said Root had suffered from mental illness. 'They will never get truth and transparency as long as law enforcement is investigating themselves,' Root Bannon said. 'That needs to change.' Several people who had been wrongfully convicted told chilling stories of spending decades behind bars. One of them, 74-year-old Hank Houghton of West Brookfield, said he was freed in 2021 after being imprisoned for 44 years for a rape he did not commit. DNA evidence finally exonerated him, Houghton said, but he lost all his family members while incarcerated, including his 12-year-old daughter, who was killed by a drunk driver. The experience was harrowing, scarring, and mistaken, he said. Instead of the Department of Correction, Houghton said, 'it should be called the Massachusetts penal colony because 'correction' has nothing to do with it.' Nathan Metcalf can be reached at
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal judge appoints remediation manager for Rikers Island cleanup
Editor's note: The video above aired in a previous newscast. NEW YORK CITY (PIX11) – A federal judge has appointed a remediation manager to oversee the cleanup of Rikers Island. New York City has lost control of the infamous jail. The decision was filed as part of Chief United States District Judge Laura Talor Sawins' 77-page ruling released Tuesday morning. More Local News 'The Court will appoint an independent Nunez Remediation Manager who shall report directly to this Court and be empowered to take all actions necessary to cure Defendants' contempt and support remediation of the ongoing violations of the constitutional rights of people in custody in the New York City jails. The Court expects that the Remediation Manager and the Commissioner of the Department of Correction will work as collaboratively as possible to achieve remediation of the Contempt Provisions and compliance with the Consent Judgment, including by building upon the progress that has been achieved since the current Commissioner took office.' Excerpt from Sawins' 77-page ruling The jail complex, located on a hard-to-reach island in the East River, has long suffered from rampant disorder and neglect. Rates of violence, use of force, self-harm, and deaths in custody in city jails have gotten 'demonstrably worse' since the city and parties agreed in October 2015 to a settlement, consent decree, and the appointment of a federal monitor, Swain said. In 2022, 19 people died in custody at Rikers Island. Nine more died in 2023, and at least five died in 2024. By the end of 2024, Swain had held New York City in contempt for failing to stop violence and brutality at its jails and commented that there had been 'no substantial reduction in the risk of harm currently facing those who live and work in the Rikers Island jails.' The U.S. Attorney's office stated that the women and men of the Southern District are prepared to collaborate with the new manager. The attorney's office also noted that Rikers fails its over 7,000 individuals in custody, as well as the correction officers, staff, and the people of New York. Matthew Euzarraga is a multimedia journalist from El Paso, Texas. He has covered local news and LGBTQIA topics in the New York City Metro area since 2021. He joined the PIX11 Digital team in 2023. You can see more of his work here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
