The DEA Honor Roll

First grade Detective Steven McDonald was undoubtedly one of the most famous members of the New York Police Department in its 150-plus year history. As a young Police Officer with only two years on the job, in 1986, McDonald was shot in the line of duty in Central Park by a teenage perpetrator who he was questioning about a robbery. The gunshot wounds left McDonald relegated to a wheelchair and attached to breathing apparatus for the rest of his life, but the Officer’s deep faith, coupled with the love of his extraordinary family, carried him through his adversity. Miraculously defying doctors’ predictions, McDonald remained an active member of the New York Police Department for the next 31 years. He was promoted to Detective in December of 1995, and to first grade Detective in December of 2003. His early, public forgiveness for the teenager who shot him made international headlines, and McDonald spent the rest of his life bringing his message of peace and forgiveness to many corners of the world, particularly as a goodwill ambassador for the NYPD. He was the topic of countless articles and books, including a documentary and an autobiography, and he was still an active member of the Department when he passed away from the complications of his conditions on January 10, 2017. You can read more about Det.  McDonald on the following links:

From the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of The Gold Shield magazine

From the Spring/Summer 2018 issue of The Gold Shield magazine