Oh wow. I had never seen this image. I lived within the 13th Precinct and actually, I briefly spoke to Officer Smith that morning, probably around 8:55, at the corner of 6th Avenue and 16th street. She was taking statements from a crowd of people that had gathered on the sidewalk, some of whom had just seen the first impact on the north tower. I had been too busy trying to find a cab on 6th Avenue that I hadn't seen or heard the impact and didn't know about it until a passerby stopped me and told me to turn around and look. So when Officer Smith asked me if I saw it, I just told her I hadn't and she went on to the next person. You can't see it in the picture, but she had this key ring on her belt that was straining with what looked like 80 keys on it. I remember staring at it while I was listening to some of the others give their reports to her which she was writing in a little notepad. It's funny the small details like that that stick in your memory. It wasn't until much later that I read that she died and remembered crossing paths with her that morning. After I left her and headed to my office (still presuming it was a freak accident at that point) I expect she was dispatched downtown. I think she was the only female NYPD police officer killed that day.
chocolate_spaghetti on September 12nd, 2023 at 03:33 UTC »
Crazy thag NYPD was still using revolvers in 2001
Deadpooldan on September 12nd, 2023 at 07:17 UTC »
What a hero
cjboffoli on September 12nd, 2023 at 15:44 UTC »
Oh wow. I had never seen this image. I lived within the 13th Precinct and actually, I briefly spoke to Officer Smith that morning, probably around 8:55, at the corner of 6th Avenue and 16th street. She was taking statements from a crowd of people that had gathered on the sidewalk, some of whom had just seen the first impact on the north tower. I had been too busy trying to find a cab on 6th Avenue that I hadn't seen or heard the impact and didn't know about it until a passerby stopped me and told me to turn around and look. So when Officer Smith asked me if I saw it, I just told her I hadn't and she went on to the next person. You can't see it in the picture, but she had this key ring on her belt that was straining with what looked like 80 keys on it. I remember staring at it while I was listening to some of the others give their reports to her which she was writing in a little notepad. It's funny the small details like that that stick in your memory. It wasn't until much later that I read that she died and remembered crossing paths with her that morning. After I left her and headed to my office (still presuming it was a freak accident at that point) I expect she was dispatched downtown. I think she was the only female NYPD police officer killed that day.