Latest news with #SpecialVictimsDivision
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Widow of fallen COVID cop seeks spot on memorial wall at NYPD headquarters: ‘Invisible bullet'
NYPD officers who died from COVID-19 during the pandemic deserve to be treated — and enshrined — as heroes, family and union officials are urging. Detective Raymond Abear's death in 2020 was as if he was struck by an 'invisible bullet,' his still grieving widow Catharine Abear told The Post. Abear was a Special Victims Division sleuth visiting crime victims in Queens hospitals when the virus invaded the borough's emergency rooms in early 2020. 'My husband went out there every day,' said Abear. 'Even though his job was dangerous, I didn't think this was going to take his life. 'At that very early stage . . . we knew very, very little about the disease and there wasn't a lot of understanding on how to protect ourselves . . . and masks were far and few between,' she added. 'So sadly, he caught it very early on.' When he died on April 13, 2020 at the age of 43, the couple had a 4-month-old daughter, Stella, and a 2-year-old son, Jackson. Abear's widow wants her husband and the other victims to be memorialized on the Hall of Heroes wall at NYPD headquarters at One Police Plaza in lower Manhattan, where the names of detectives shot and killed in the line of duty and those who died as a result of illnesses connected to the 9/11 attacks are listed. 'For him to be honored by them, that's an accomplishment,' Abear said. 'We have young kids and I want them to stand in the hall at One Police Plaza, look up and say, 'That's my dad.'' Abear is among six detectives who died from COVID to be honored at a five-year memorial ceremony at Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church in Jamaica Saturday. The others being honored are Cedric Dixon, of the 32nd Precinct Detective Squad, Jack Polimeni, of the Manhattan Warrant Squad, Jeffrey Scalf, of the Bronx Gang Squad, Robert Cardona of the 13th Precinct Detective Squad and Christopher McDonnell, of the Intelligence Bureau. All of them had about 20 years on the job each. 'They all really passed within about two weeks of each other, the six detectives,' Abear said. 'They were the first of the department to get sick.' There were nearly 70 members of the NYPD, including non-uniformed and uniformed employees, who died of the illness. Detectives Endowment Association President Scott Munro recalled how difficult it was for the union to secure protective equipment such as masks, gloves and sanitizer for members in the early days of the pandemic. The department didn't provide the equipment. 'Like all detectives, they faced the front lines of the pandemic with unwavering dedication protecting others even as they risked their own health,' he said. 'Now it is our duty to honor these detectives and ensure their legacies live on for generations.' The families also received line of duty death benefits and have their names on memorial walls, including at Ground Zero and in Washington, D.C.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
NYPD Detective Pulled From Sex Crime Cases After Moonlighting As Video Vixen
A NYPD detective facing backlash for moonlighting as a video vixen has been removed from all active sex crime cases. According to the New York Post, Melissa Mercado, a seven-year NYPD veteran who appeared as a model in a rap music video, has been pulled from her post in the Special Victims Division, which investigates crimes including sex assault, rape, and molestation. Mercado was outed for her dual professions after the music video for Hempstead rap artist S-Quire's 'Doin That' single went viral after being posted on popular media outlet WorldStarHipHop. While Mercado has gained rave reviews for her sultry dancing, curvaceous body, and facial features, certain members of the NYPD and other critics has blasted her appearance in the music video as being unsavory, calling for her to receive disciplinary action. 'I think this conduct is unbecoming a police officer,' retired NYPD Special Victims Division Chief Michael Osgood said of Mercado. 'I find it wrong morally if you're a special victims detective.' Retired police officer and lawyer Eric Sanders echoed Osgood's sentiments, going as far as to question Mercado's ethics as member of the force. 'She should be modified,' Sanders said. 'What she did is inconsistent with the values of being a police officer. Police work is a noble profession and it's supposed to look a certain way.' A 3rd grade detective, Mercado joined the NYPD in 2018 and was assigned to the Bronx special victims unit. Mercado, who reportedly makes $144,000 annually, is also known on social media as Honeybee, the name under which she's posted various photos of herself outside of work. It remains unclear if Mercado broke any official NYPD policies or guidelines with her appearance in the music video. According to Pitch Perfect, the director of the 'Doin That' music video, Mercado's role within the NYPD was unbeknownst to him and S-Quire prior to the clip gaining popularity. 'None of us were aware of … what her main profession was,' the director told TMZ. However, her day job hasn't tempered the response viewers have had to her appearance in the 'Doin That' video, which has amassed two million views on YouTube alone as of press time. Pitch Perfect also says she's been requested to appear in several other artists' music videos since the release of 'Doin That' in Feburary. 'I've had tons of artists reach out trying to get her in their video,' Pitch Perfect revealed. 'If you look at it like that, it might be a great thing for her. I think she wins.' Watch Melissa Mercado's appearance in S-Quire's 'Doin That' music video below. More from You Have The Right To Remain Lusty? NYPD Cop Bashed For Raunchy Video NYPD Recklessly Opens Fire On Man Evading $2.90 Subway Fare, Bullets Hit Three Others On Train Diddy Reportedly Subject Of "Secret" Investigation, NYPD Denies Claim In New Statement
Yahoo
09-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pole-dancing NYPD detective pulled from active cases in sex crimes unit: police sources
The curvaceous NYPD detective who went viral after starring in a raunchy rap video while twerking in a thong and skimpy bra will no longer investigate active cases with the Special Victims Division, which investigates sex crimes, police sources said. Melissa Mercado's behavior was under review, an NYPD spokeswoman said. The department didn't immediately answer when asked if the seven-year NYPD veteran had broken any specific rules when she appeared in the 'Doin That' video by Hempstead rapper S-Quire. Pitch Perfect, who directed the music video, told TMZ Friday that he and the rapper hired Mercado from a casting agency and were unaware of her day job. 'None of us were aware of … what her main profession was,' the director said. The video was posted by the online site WorldStarHipHop. She was not named in the clip — which quickly made the rounds among the rank and file — and she wasn't wearing anything that would identify her as a member of the city's Finest. It was particularly disturbing for a sex crimes investigator to make a video that's degrading to women, said retired NYPD Special Victims Division Chief Michael Osgood. 'I think this conduct is unbecoming a police officer,' he said. 'I find it wrong morally if you're a special victims detective.' Mercado should be disciplined, said retired police officer and lawyer Eric Sanders. 'She should be modified,' Sanders said. 'What she did is inconsistent with the values of being a police officer. Police work is a noble profession and it's supposed to look a certain way.' Mercado, a $144,000-a-year 3rd grade detective assigned to Bronx special victims, joined the force in 2018, records show. Pitch Perfect claimed to TMZ that Mercado has become a sought-after dancer for other rap videos since her appearance in S-Quire's song. 'Everyone loved this model,' the director said, with S-Quire agreeing, calling her a 'beautiful woman.' 'I've had tons of artists reach out trying to get her in their video,' Pitch Perfect told the outlet, adding with a laugh, 'If you look at it like that, it might be a great thing for her. I think she wins' 'She was one of the stars,' of the 'Doin That' music video, the director added. Mercado did not return calls from The Post. By Saturday, the 'Doin That' video had garnered more than 1.6 million views.
