The DEA Honor Roll
Official Line of Duty Deaths
Richard A. Rotanz
Rank: Detective
Shield Number: 2847
Command: 103 Pct.
Date of Death: 08/21/1968
Cause of Death: Off Duty L.O.D. Heart Attack
Detective Richard A. Rotanz suffered a fatal heart attack while off duty on August 21, 1968. He was survived by his wife and three sons. Lorraine Rotanz-Augustine wrote a popular article titled A Shield Comes Home, that was published in the December 2000 issue of the DEA’s Gold Shield magazine.
Richard A. Rotanz]
A Shield Comes Home
By Lorraine Rotanz Augustine
The last time I saw shield #2847 was when it was pinned to the uniform of Detetive Richard A. Rotanz on the of his funeral, August 26, 1968. As I stood there with my three young sons, saying our last goodbyes, I wondered what was in store for us. The shield caught my eye, he was so proud to be a cop the NYPD.
The following year I started nursing school. It was an experience, considering all of us going to school, doing homework and all of the things that go with getting an education.
The years were going by and the boys were growing up. They asked what I would do when they were on their own. I suggested I would spend four months with each one, every year. Their response was “Mom,…no way!” and they went out and found me Pet Augustine.
Pete was a widower and a volunteer firefighter with the Setauket Fire Department, as was my eldest son. As time went o, Pete and I married. It was not The Brady Bunch, but we survived…
Singer, John M.
Detective John Singer was shot and killed by a prisoner inside police headquarters.
The suspect was apprehended a short time later and charged with murder.