Police Officer
Jack C. Burkhardt
Shield # 1034
Born: January 6, 1942
Start Date: February 15, 1965
Assignment: 5th Precinct
Died: March 15, 1977

On March 10, 1977, Police Officer Jack Burkhardt and Police Officer Anthony Morrisette, were working a 4-12 tour in the Fifth Precinct. At approximately 10:45 p.m., the officers received a call of a possible burglary in progress at the A&P shopping center on Montauk Highway in Mastic. The complainant reported hearing noises on the roof. Upon arrival, Police Officer Burkhardt climbed the roof to investigate. Police Officer Morrisette continued to check the building from the ground. After finding no signs of a ground level break-in, Police Officer Morrisette returned to the area where Police Officer Burkhardt had climbed to the roof and found Police Officer Burkhardt in an unconscious position. Police Officer Burkhardt had fallen off the roof.Police Officer Burkhardt was rushed to the hospital, where he remained for five days before succumbing to his injuries on March 15, 1977.

Police Officer Burkhardt was survived by his wife and three children.

Police Officer
Craig L. Capolino
Shield # 3713
Born: April 1, 1971
Start Date: October 20, 2003
Assignment: 3rd Precinct
Died: January 30, 2013

The Suffolk County Police Department honors the memory of Police Officer Craig L. Capolino, who died on January 31, 2013 of 9/11-related cancer.

 Officer Craig L. Capolino died as the result of cancer that he developed following his assignment to the search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. For months after the attacks, he raked and sifted through the Fresh Kills Landfill, searching for human remains and criminal evidence.

 Capolino was diagnosed with cancer in January 2012.

 He was survived by his wife and three daughters.

Police Officer
Frank D. Cataldo
Shield # 905
Born: September 6, 1935
Start Date: May 25, 1964
Assignment: 1st Precinct
Died: November 3, 1971

On November 3, 1971, Police Officer Frank Cataldo was on his way to work at the First Precinct, when he observed a motor vehicle crash occur on the Sunrise Highway Service Road in West Islip. Police Officer Cataldo stopped to offer assistance and pulled his vehicle partially onto the sidewalk. A truck, approaching the scene of the crash, lost control and slammed into Police Officer Cataldo’s vehicle fatally injuring him.

Police Officer Cataldo was survived by his wife and five children.

Police Officer
Carmelo A. Cattano
Shield # 233
Born: September 7, 1927
Start Date: January 1, 1960
Assignment: 2nd Precinct
Died: May 30, 1963

On May 30, 1963, Police Officer Carmelo Cattano was working an 8-4 tour and was returning to the Second Precinct after completing special parade duty for Memorial Day. At approximately 11:45 a.m., Police Officer Cattano was involved in a motor vehicle crash in which he was thrown from his vehicle and suffered multiple injuries to his head, chest, and lower extremities. Police Officer Cattano was taken to Huntington Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Police Officer Cattano was survived by his wife.

On February 22, 2009, Officer Glen Ciano was responding to assist another officer making an arrest at a traffic stop at approximately 4:15 a.m. when his vehicle was involved in a motor vehicle crash with another vehicle at the intersection of Vanderbilt Motor Parkway and Commack Road in Commack. Officer Ciano was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle was charged with Driving While Intoxicated.

Police Officer Ciano was survived by his wife and two children.

Police Officer
William V. DeRosa
Shield # 2147
Born: December 3, 1947
Start Date: August 3, 1970
Assignment: 1st Precinct
Died: January 31, 1976

On January 31, 1976, Police Officer William DeRosa was working a 4-12 tour and was in one of three patrol cars that responded to a call of a disturbance at 173 Steele Place, North Amityville. Witnesses identified a gray Buick as the vehicle containing four subjects who had allegedly assaulted a guest at 173 Steele Place. The officers located the vehicle containing the suspects and initiated their approach. Two officers took a position near the front of the vehicle and Police Officer DeRosa took a position near the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle suddenly lurched forward toward the two officers at the front. One of the officers, armed with a shotgun, fell backwards and the shotgun accidentally discharged. Police Officer DeRosa was struck in the chest and was killed.

Police Officer DeRosa was survived by his wife and two children.

Sergeant
Lawrence J. Devine
Shield # 370
Born: December 19, 1938
Start Date: January 9, 1961
Assignment: 3rd Precinct
Died: August 22, 1981

On January 23, 1966, Third Precinct Police Officer Lawrence Devine and Police Officer Peter Vogel were working a 4-12 tour in unit 306 in Central Islip. At approximately 11:45 p.m., they responded to a violent domestic dispute at 553 Wilson Boulevard. A male perpetrator fired several rounds at the officers upon their arrival. Officer Devine was shot twice in the spine. Officer Vogel was shot in the arm, but was able to return fire. The suspect was apprehended. Police Officer Devine was paralyzed as a result of the incident. However, he returned to work in the Communications Section and was promoted to Sergeant in January 1969. He received a disability retirement in April 1971 and died on August 22, 1981, due to complications resulting from injuries sustained in the shooting.

Sergeant Devine was survived by his wife and six children. 

Police Officer
Vincent J. DeVivo
Shield # 305
Born: April 10, 1927
Start Date: January 1, 1960
Assignment: 2nd Precinct
Died: October 28, 1962

On September 17, 1962, Police Officer Vincent DeVivo, while working a 4-12 tour in the Second Precinct, was investigating a motor vehicle crash. After conducting his investigation, Police Officer DeVivo placed one of the drivers under arrest for Driving While Intoxicated. During the arrest, a struggle ensued and Police Officer DeVivo was struck in the chest. Police Officer DeVivo began to suffer severe chest pains and was taken to Huntington Hospital in critical condition. On October 28, 1962, Police Officer DeVivo suffered a fatal heart attack while at Huntington Hospital. 

Police Officer DeVivo was survived by his wife and two children.

Sergeant
James T. Farrell
Shield 832
Born: January 24, 1956
Start Date: September 28, 1982
Assignment: Highway Patrol
Died: December 1, 2017

On September 11, 2001, while assigned to Highway Patrol’s Motor Carrier Safety Section, Sergeant Farrell responded into lower Manhattan to assist the NYPD’s search and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center following the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks. He spent a week at Ground Zero providing logistical support by coordinating the deployment of assets from the Suffolk County Police Department. Sergeant Farrell retired in July 2005 from the Motor Carrier Safety Section. On December 1, 2017, Sergeant Farrell died as the result of cancer that he developed while working near ground zero.
Sergeant Farrell was survived by his wife. 

Police Officer
George A. Frees
Shield # 1649
Born: August 9, 1942
Start Date: September 30, 1968
Assignment: 1st Precinct
Died: April 6, 1971

On April 6, 1971, Police Officer George Frees and Police Officer Robert Staab were working a 4-12 shift in the First Precinct. At approximately 7:15 p.m., they responded to a call at 53 Mount Avenue in Wyandanch, in which a child had reported that her father had shot her mother. Upon arrival, Police Officer Frees, the driver of their sector car, was shot in the neck by rifle fire from within the house. Police Officer Staab exited the police car and was also fired upon and received a serious injury to his abdomen. With the assistance of Police Officer Anthony Pieri and Police Officer Dennis Delaney, both injured officers were transported to Good Samaritan Hospital. Police Officer Frees died from his injuries. Police Officer Staab underwent emergency surgery and survived.

Police Officer Frees was survived by his wife and three children.

Detective Lieutenant
Joseph H. Hawkins
Born: May 8, 1924
Start Date: January 1, 1960
Assignment: 3rd Squad Detectives
Died: August 13, 1972

On July 25, 1972, Detective Lieutenant Joseph Hawkins, who served as the Commanding Officer of the Third Squad Detectives, was attending the New York State Chiefs of Police Conference in Lockport, New York. While participating in a field demonstration at the conference, Detective Lieutenant Hawkins suffered a stroke and collapsed. He was taken to Mount Saint Mary’s Hospital in Lewiston, New York. On August 13, 1972, while still in the hospital, Detective Lieutenant Hawkins died as a result of the stroke.

Detective Lieutenant Hawkins was survived by his wife and two children.

Sergeant
Timothy J. Henck
Shield # 292
Born: September 1, 1964
Start Date: December 1, 1986
Assignment: 5th Precinct
Died: August 6, 1995

On July 31, 1995, Sergeant Henck was working a 10 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. tour in the Fifth Precinct. At approximately 12:45 a.m., a police officer observed a subject fleeing the scene of a burglary at a local store in Bohemia. The subject fled in a van and a motor vehicle pursuit ensued. Sergeant Henck was supervising the pursuit as it went westbound on the Long Island Expressway towards Huntington. Sergeant Henck, considering the safety of other officers and motorists, attempted to stop the van. The subject rammed Sergeant Henck’s vehicle numerous times sending it into an embankment on the Expressway near exit 52. Sergeant Henck was pinned in his patrol vehicle. When he was removed from the vehicle, officers performed CPR. He was then airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital. On August 6, 1995, Sergeant Henck succumbed to his injuries.

Sergeant Henck was survived by his wife and infant daughter.

Police Officer
Edwin Hernandez
Shield # 3444
Born: October 31, 1959
Start Date:  February 25, 1985
Assignment: Highway Enforcement Section
Died: July 27, 2004

Shortly after midnight on Tuesday, July 27, 2004, Police Officer Edwin Hernandez was driving a Suffolk County Police Highway Patrol unit westbound on the Northern State Parkway. As he was passing under the Dix Hills Road overpass in Dix Hills, Officer Hernandez lost control of the police vehicle, colliding first with a guardrail and then a tree.  New York State Police and Suffolk County Police units responded to the scene after a passing motorist called 911 to report the crash. Officer Hernandez was airlifted by Suffolk County Police helicopter to Stony Brook Medical Center where he died from his injuries.

Police Officer Hernandez was survived by his wife and two children.

Sergeant
James Hutchens
Shield # 689
Born: January 22, 1944
Start Date: August 7, 1967
Assignment: Technical Services
Died: July 2, 1992

On July 2, 1992, Sergeant James Hutchens was working an 8-4 tour in the radio shop garage. Sergeant Hutchens continued working after the rest of the day shift had completed their tour and left for the day. When Sergeant Hutchens failed to return home that evening, his family became alarmed and notified the police. Officers searched the radio shop and found Sergeant Hutchens' body in the building. Sergeant Hutchens had been exposed to lethal levels of carbon monoxide. An investigation revealed that the ventilation system had been turned off at the end of the day, but a vehicle was inadvertently left running in the shop. The accumulation of fumes proved fatal to Sergeant Hutchens.

Sergeant Hutchens was survived by his wife and son.

Police Officer
John Jantzen
Shield # 3537
Born: May 11, 1958
Start Date: September 23, 1985
Assignment: Community Relations Section
Died: April 21, 1991

On the morning of April 21, 1991, at approximately 5:15 a.m., Police Officer John Jantzen was off-duty preparing to do some painting work at a Lake Grove restaurant on Route 25. A two-person cleaning crew was inside the premises and Police Officer Jantzen was outside. Suddenly, Police Officer Jantzen heard a shotgun blast and screams from inside the restaurant. Police Officer Jantzen heroically rushed in to offer assistance. The shooter killed Police Officer Jantzen as he entered the establishment. The shooter, the husband of one of the cleaning employees, also killed his wife and her co-worker. However, the co-worker was able to provide responding officers with details of the incident before dying. The shooter was subsequently apprehended.

Police Officer Jantzen was survived by his wife and infant son.

Deputy Chief
Alfred C. Kohler
Born: September 27, 1910
Start Date: January 1, 1960
Assignment: Headquarters
Died: July 14, 1963

Deputy Chief Kohler was appointed to the Suffolk County Police Department at its inception in 1960, after serving as the Chief of the Huntington Town Police Department since 1948. On July 14, 1963, Deputy Chief Kohler had conducted a routine precinct check and was traveling on Route 25A in Fort Salonga when his vehicle had a tire blowout. The blowout caused the vehicle to hit a tree, resulting in Deputy Chief Kohler’s death.

A son, who later joined the Suffolk County Police Department, survived Deputy Chief Kohler.

Detective
Carmine M. Macchia
Shield # 366
Born: July 16, 1945
Start Date: July 20, 1970
Assignment: 1st Squad Detectives
Died: June 15, 1978

On June 14, 1978, at approximately 11:30 p.m., First Precinct police officers were in a pursuit of a stolen vehicle. Detective Carmine Macchia and Police Officer Al Sabia, who were in an unmarked police vehicle, joined the pursuit. Their vehicle collided with a truck and a police vehicle at the intersection of Straight Path and Sunrise Highway in Lindenhurst. The truck flipped over and burst into flames, as did Detective Macchia’s vehicle. Detective Macchia and Officer Sabia were rushed to Brunswick Hospital. In the early morning hours of June 15, 1978, Detective Macchia succumbed to his injuries.

Detective Macchia was survived by his wife.

Deputy Inspector
George A. McMullen
Born: April 23, 1924
Start Date: January 1, 1960
Assignment: 6th Precinct
Died: April 24, 1969

On April 24, 1969, Deputy Inspector George McMullen responded to the scene of a fatal plane crash in a wooded area in South Setauket. Deputy Inspector McMullen rushed through rough, hilly, and wooded terrain to reach the downed plane. Upon reaching the crash site, Deputy Inspector McMullen complained of chest pains. He suffered a heart attack shortly after leaving the scene and died later that day.

Deputy Inspector McMullen was survived by his four children.

Detective
Stephen J. Mullen
Shield # 1342
Born: November 20, 1962
Start Date: September 8, 1992
Assignment: 1st Precinct
Died: December 7, 2018

On the morning of September 11, 2001 terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network crashed four commercial airliners into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. While assigned to the 1st Precinct Cope Section, Detective Mullen responded to lower Manhattan to assist the NYPD for the two days immediately following the terrorist attacks. During the summer of 2018, Detective Mullen was diagnosed with cancer that he had developed while working near Ground Zero. Detective Mullen is survived by his wife Patricia and their two sons.

Police Officer
John J. Nolan
Shield # 407
Born: June 20, 1932
Start Date: January 1, 1960
Assignment: 3rd Precinct
Died: April 17, 1960

Police Officer John Nolan and Police Officer James Baryliski were working a midnight tour on April 17, 1960, and were investigating a burglary in progress at a closed restaurant on Wheeler Road in Central Islip. Their skillful investigation and police professionalism at the scene under stressful conditions ultimately resulted in the arrest of a subject within the restaurant. Several hours later, Police Officer Nolan suffered a fatal heart attack, brought on by the exertion during the apprehension of the burglar.

Police Officer Nolan was survived by his wife and four children.

Sergeant
Dennis W. Reichardt
Shield # 824
Born: January 5, 1954
Start Date: September 27, 1982
Assignment: Emergency Service
Died: October 4, 2018

On September 11, 2001, while assigned to the Emergency Service Section, Sergeant Reichardt was dispatched to the World Trade Center to assist the NYPD at Ground Zero using his expertise as a bomb technician. He spent several days supporting the recovery effort in lower Manhattan followed by three months of searching through debris at the FreshKills landfill on Staten Island. Reichardt retired in July 2011 after 29 years of service. In April 2017, Sergeant Reichardt was diagnosed with cancer that he had developed while working near Ground Zero. Sergeant Reichardt was survived by his wife, three children and one grandchild.

Police Officer
Ralph Sorli
Shield # 689
Born: February 8, 1935
Start Date: April 15, 1963
Assignment: 6th Precinct
Died: August 14, 1977

On August 14, 1977, Police Officer  Ralph Sorli was off-duty when he heard an alarm ringing at a service station near his home. Police Officer Sorli proceeded to investigate and found a broken window at the scene. Police Officer Sorli then notified the police. Police Officer Sorli waited at the scene for the police and an owner to arrive. After leaving the scene at approximately 2:00 a.m., Police Officer Sorli, while crossing Route 25A, was hit by a car and killed instantly. The operator of the vehicle left the scene of the crash, but later turned himself in at the Sixth Precinct.

Police Officer Sorli was survived by his wife and three children.

Police Officer
Henry J. Stewart
Shield # 2623
Born: June 17, 1947
Start Date: January 29, 1973
Assignment: 3rd Precinct
Died: July 11, 1992

In the early hours of July 11, 1992, Police Officer Stewart was at home with his family. At approximately 12:05 a.m., Officer Stewart heard loud noises coming from the street. Outside his home, Officer Stewart located a subject in a vehicle who had committed several acts of criminal mischief using a pipe and his vehicle. Officer Stewart told his son to call 911 and then identified himself as a police officer to the subject. A struggle ensued when Officer Stewart reached into the vehicle to grab the keys from the ignition.  The subject proceeded to drag Officer Stewart down the street and into several stationary objects. Ultimately, the subject drove Officer Stewart into a parked car, which caused Officer Stewart's body to become trapped under the car. About a dozen responding officers lifted the car off of him and he was rushed to the hospital.  Police Officer Stewart succumbed to his massive injuries.

Police Officer Stewart was survived by his wife and three children.

Lieutenant
Robert Van Zeyl

Born: June 24, 1960
Start Date: February 25, 1985
Assignment: 2nd Precinct
Died: January 20, 2021

The Suffolk County Police Department remembers Lieutenant Robert Van Zeyl who died from COVID-19 on January 20, 2021.

Van Zeyl joined the Suffolk County Police Department in February 1985 and served in the Fifth Precinct upon graduation from the academy. He was promoted to Sergeant in 1994 and Lieutenant in 2003. He served as the Commanding Officer of the Applicant Investigation Section and the Administrative Services Bureau before transferring to the Second Precinct in 2015 where he worked until his death.

Van Zeyl was survived by his ex-wife, daughter and son.

Police Officer
John J. Venus
Shield # 4778
Born: May 8, 1968
Start Date: December 6, 1993
Assignment: 3rd Precinct
Died: November 20, 1994

On November 7, 1994, Police Officer Venus was assigned to patrol duties in the Third Precinct area. While on patrol, Officer Venus was involved in a motor vehicle crash at the intersection of Carleton Avenue and Suffolk Avenue in Central Islip. On November 15, 1994, while at home recovering from his injuries, Officer Venus began to experience difficulty breathing. He was rushed to the hospital and admitted for treatment. On November 20, 1994, while in the hospital, Police Officer Venus died of a pulmonary embolism caused by the blunt trauma suffered in the motor vehicle accident.

Police Officer Venus was survived by his wife.

Police Officer
 Albert A. Willetts
Shield # 1238
Born: February 1, 1941
Start Date: May 16, 1966
Assignment: Traffic and Safety Bureau
Died: June 3, 1971

On June 3, 1971, Police Officer Albert Willetts, a motorcycle officer, was involved in a crash on Route 25 in Selden. A vehicle turning into a shopping center struck Police Officer Willetts’ motorcycle and he was thrown from his vehicle. Police Officer Willetts died from head injuries sustained in the crash.

Police Officer Willetts was survived by his wife and five children.

Detective
Dennis J. Wustenhoff
Shield # 296
Born: July 14, 1948
Start Date: October 26, 1970
Assignment: Narcotics Section
Died: February 15, 1990

On the morning of February 15, 1990, at approximately 11:50 a.m., Detective Wustenhoff exited his home in Patchogue and entered the undercover police vehicle assigned to him. Detective Wustenhoff was assigned to the Narcotics Section where his primary duties involved long-term undercover investigations of mid to upper-level drug dealers. When Detective Wustenhoff started his vehicle, there was a tremendous explosion caused by an explosive device, which was placed under the car. Detective Wustenhoff suffered massive injuries in the explosion and was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital. Three hours after the explosion, Detective Wustenhoff succumbed to his injuries.  

Detective Wustenhoff was survived by his wife and three children.