On October 31st, 2017, New York City fell victim to another terror attack.
It was Halloween in the city along the Hudson River when something terrible happened. A large rented truck began accelerating and drove right in the middle of a bike lane, killing eight people and injuring 12 others before it finally crashed in front of Stuyvesant High School. A man jumped out with two handguns, yelling “Allahu Akbar” and escaping on foot.
For a moment, it seemed that more damage could be done.
The suspect driving the vehicle was Sayfullo Saipov, an Uzbek native who entered the United States through the Diversity Visa Program.
Fortunately for everyone in the area, Saipov’s escape was cut short. On nearby Chambers Street, Officer Ryan Nash of the NYPD was already on the scene. Upon seeing Saipov, Nash fired his service pistol nine times, striking Saipov once in the abdomen and dropping him to the ground. Fortunately, the two weapons Saipov was holding were a pellet gun and a paintball gun.
With that, Nash had successfully stopped the deadliest terrorist attack in New York City since September 11th.
Nash was only on a routine call when he came face-to-face with Saipov.
Nash is only 28 years old and, for his part, says he was just doing his job. As he told reporters at Long Island-based News 12, a CNN affiliate:
“I appreciate the public recognition of the actions of myself and my fellow officers yesterday. Although I feel that we were just doing our job like thousands of officers do every day, I understand the importance of yesterday’s events and the role we played. I’m grateful for the recognition we’ve received.”
As a result of his quick thinking and bravery, Nash was commended by many colleagues in law enforcement and local government.
NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton tweeted out his support of Nash’s actions, thanking him for his “bravery and quick action in stopping yesterday’s terrorist attack.” Others, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, followed suit. De Blasio spoke to the New York Times, saying:
“[Nash] is a good young man; he was very humble about what he did, but what he did was extraordinary. And it gave people such faith and such appreciation in our police force.”
While Nash is still young, he is already being hailed as a “hero cop” by many media outlets for his actions.
While domestic and international terrorism remains a specter throughout the world, this story shows that there are still people like Nash who stand in the way when these dangerous situations occur.
Officer Nash, we salute you for your bravery!
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