On Monday of this week, two separate incidents occurred in Morris County (where the Badge Company of New Jersey was based for many years), each of which claimed the life of a retired NYPD officer, both of whom served in the borough of Staten Island, both of whom had been honored during their careers for actions in apprehending armed suspects, and each of whom was within a year of the other's age.
The first incident was a highway crash on Route 80 in Parsippany Monday afternoon that killed 52-year-old Peter McPolin, a retired NYPD Sergeant.
The second incident was an apparent domestic dispute Monday evening in Flanders that resulted in the shooting death of 51-year-old Patrick Gilhuley, a retired officer with the NYPD Housing Division.
The coincidences are many, the circumstances tragic.