1 00:00:01,960 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: The public has had a long held fascination with detectives. 2 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:07,840 Speaker 1: Detective sy a side of life. The average person is 3 00:00:07,920 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: never exposed her. I spent thirty four years as a cop. 4 00:00:11,640 --> 00:00:14,080 Speaker 1: For twenty five of those years, I was catching killers. 5 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: That's what I did for a living. I was a 6 00:00:16,280 --> 00:00:20,600 Speaker 1: homicide detective. I'm no longer just interviewing bad guys. Instead, 7 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: I'm taking the public into the world in which I operated. 8 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,479 Speaker 1: The guests I talk to each week have amazing stories 9 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: from all sides of the law. The interviews are raw 10 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: and honest, just like the people I talk to. Some 11 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: of the content and language might be confronting. That's because 12 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 1: no one who comes into contact with crime is left unchanged. 13 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:40,440 Speaker 1: Join me now as I take you into this world. 14 00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to another episode of the Vicatch Killers NYPD. Those 15 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: letters are embedded in my psyche. The New York Police Department, 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:57,520 Speaker 1: for some reason, represents everything there is about policing. I'm 17 00:00:57,520 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: talking the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you've 18 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: spent twenty years as a cop in New York, you've 19 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:07,039 Speaker 1: earnt your stripes in policing, that's for sure. Today's guest 20 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:11,440 Speaker 1: retired NOPD Sergeant John Fariso has done just that, and 21 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: today we have the pleasure of having him on My 22 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:17,680 Speaker 1: Catch Killers. As you'd expect from a veteran New York cop, 23 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,720 Speaker 1: he has a thousand stories to tell. In two thousand 24 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: and one, he was on duty working at one police plaza, 25 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: just a short distance from where the planes crashed into 26 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,280 Speaker 1: the World Trade Center. He was shaken by the explosion 27 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: and had the horror of seeing people jump from the 28 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: building to their death. Today he's going to give us 29 00:01:34,640 --> 00:01:37,040 Speaker 1: a first hand account of the fear and the chaos 30 00:01:37,120 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: of what occurred. But that's just part of his story. 31 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,600 Speaker 1: This is how he described his policing career. When you're 32 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: a New York City police officer, you become a social worker, chauffeur, 33 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: human relations consultant, and a tour guide. You're expected to 34 00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 1: do all those things while stopping crime as it occurs, 35 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: preventing crime, and keeping the peace in a city that 36 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 1: never takes a break. Today to hear his stories, John Fariso, 37 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:04,280 Speaker 1: welcome to I Catch Killers. 38 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:05,720 Speaker 2: Thank you great to be here. 39 00:02:06,480 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: Well, I've got to say you're the first New York 40 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:10,799 Speaker 1: cop we've had on I Catch Killer. Someone a bit 41 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: excited about that because policing in New York is poleacing 42 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: at the sharp end. And yeah, we've touched on New 43 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: York crime. I had Michael Francis as a guest, the 44 00:02:22,320 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 1: Mafia Kappa a guest on there, and I've also had 45 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 1: Joe Pistoni, the real Donnie Brasco on. 46 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 2: Great. Thank you for having me here. This is my 47 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:34,200 Speaker 2: first podcast outside the US, so I appreciate you having 48 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 2: me on. I plan on doing more outside of the US, 49 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:37,200 Speaker 2: but this is the first one. I'm doing. 50 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 1: Oh, very good, very good. Well. I think there is 51 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,880 Speaker 1: a fascination about policing in New York. I don't know 52 00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:46,120 Speaker 1: what it is. Whether it's we sort of grow up 53 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: on hearing stories of New York and if something happens 54 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: in New York, the news news travels fast. I suppose 55 00:02:51,919 --> 00:02:54,720 Speaker 1: there's also from my point of view, I was even 56 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:58,040 Speaker 1: when I was in the Cops, I was watching MYPD Blues, 57 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: grew up watching Serpi k the movie, and Donnie Brasco 58 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 1: American Gangster. It's all very New York related. 59 00:03:05,240 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 2: Definitely. I'm glad you mentioned Surproco. I mentioned that a lot. 60 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:12,359 Speaker 2: That's probably one of the top two best corp movies 61 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 2: ever and definitely betrays New York City during the time. 62 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, they were different, different times, and we'll talk on that. 63 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: We've had in New South Wales police. We've had the 64 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 1: corruption and everything that comes with policing, but it's just 65 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:28,000 Speaker 1: part and parcel of the job. One thing that I 66 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:32,320 Speaker 1: noticed reading up and preparing for the podcast here when 67 00:03:32,360 --> 00:03:34,639 Speaker 1: we go to work in New South Wales cops we 68 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: go we've got a shift or we're going to work. 69 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: You guys call it a tour, like each day is 70 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 1: a tour. What now that conjures up images of Yeah, 71 00:03:44,320 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: you do a tour of war, you do a tour? 72 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: Is that? Do you think that reflects what policing is 73 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: New York is all about? 74 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 2: Well, I guess, being that there's thirty thousand New York 75 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 2: City Police officers, I guess that tour would make sense. 76 00:03:54,680 --> 00:03:56,800 Speaker 1: Yes, yeah, thirty thousand. 77 00:03:56,920 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 2: I'm not sure the number now, but there's thirty thousand 78 00:03:58,720 --> 00:03:59,320 Speaker 2: when I was there. 79 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:03,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's incredible. Like we've got New South Wales 80 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: Police I think between fifteen and twenty thousand, and that's 81 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: a pretty big police forces across the globe. But New 82 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,080 Speaker 1: York eclipse is that clearly I want to talk about 83 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:16,679 Speaker 1: your career. I'm fascinated about your career and what happens, 84 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: but I also want to talk about the September eleventh 85 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:24,400 Speaker 1: when the planes crashed in the twin towers. Can you 86 00:04:24,480 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: just describe to me that day? And I've read your 87 00:04:27,360 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: piece that you wrote on it, and I just found 88 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:31,599 Speaker 1: it fascinating how you started the day off because it 89 00:04:31,640 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: was just a typical day. Do you want to just 90 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:36,200 Speaker 1: take the listener on that journey, just up until the 91 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:39,080 Speaker 1: point where things changed dramatically forever. 92 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:42,159 Speaker 2: Sure, it was a perfect day. The weather was perfect. 93 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:45,359 Speaker 2: I woke up in the morning and z eating my 94 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 2: breakfast at home. I didn't have kids yet. I was married, 95 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,240 Speaker 2: but didn't have kids' children yet, so my main concern 96 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,680 Speaker 2: that day was to how to get fitted for a 97 00:04:53,720 --> 00:04:55,520 Speaker 2: suit for a wedding. So that was the first thing 98 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 2: I thought about when I woke up that morning. I 99 00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:01,040 Speaker 2: had no clue that within two hours everything I knew 100 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 2: would be turned upside down. And what I say and 101 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:06,160 Speaker 2: whenever I talk about September eleventh is that I think 102 00:05:06,200 --> 00:05:08,479 Speaker 2: about it every single day. There has not a day 103 00:05:08,520 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 2: gone by in all these years I haven't thought about 104 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 2: it in one way or the other, not in a 105 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,800 Speaker 2: bad way. It could be something simple, but I think 106 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 2: about it. Things trigger it. Construction crews, large crowds of 107 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 2: people in the city, low flying planes, a lot of 108 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:25,120 Speaker 2: things that make me think about it. So after I breakfast, 109 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,000 Speaker 2: I got on the bus went to work, and ironically, 110 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,880 Speaker 2: my bus did past Twin Towers. I called the Twin 111 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,039 Speaker 2: Towers because that when we grew up in New York City, 112 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:35,120 Speaker 2: that's what we called it. We saw it from Queens 113 00:05:35,160 --> 00:05:37,719 Speaker 2: in the distance. So to us, that was the Twin Towers, 114 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,480 Speaker 2: and that was a very New York thing. And there 115 00:05:40,520 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 2: was a shadow from the towers that went down low 116 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 2: Manhattan and you would walk past the shadow, and that 117 00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:51,119 Speaker 2: shadow made it pretty far. And my office was, well, 118 00:05:51,279 --> 00:05:53,360 Speaker 2: in the US it's a half mile I'm not sure 119 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:57,360 Speaker 2: on kilometers, maybe point six point eight kilometers, yea, I 120 00:05:57,400 --> 00:06:00,360 Speaker 2: found correct on that. And then so the shadow made there. 121 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:02,360 Speaker 2: I walked to the building and you know, I went 122 00:06:02,400 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 2: inside it and I was still thinking about my suit, 123 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,200 Speaker 2: and I was thinking about, you know, my day. And 124 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,279 Speaker 2: I was at a temporary assignment at the time, and 125 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 2: I really if September eleventh didn't happen, this assignment would 126 00:06:12,360 --> 00:06:14,360 Speaker 2: probably never even made it to my book. But so 127 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,200 Speaker 2: I had a temporary assignment, and you know, I went 128 00:06:17,240 --> 00:06:19,479 Speaker 2: to the office and you know, the cop humor began 129 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 2: because that was very common in police work. As cop Humi. 130 00:06:22,880 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 2: There was twenty of us that were ready to get 131 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,960 Speaker 2: promoted to sogeant. So we were all just always joking around, 132 00:06:26,960 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 2: talking about making sergeant. And I sat at the desk. 133 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:33,640 Speaker 2: I read the newspaper. It was something trivial in it. 134 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:36,320 Speaker 2: And then we used to do data entry. This is 135 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 2: going back to two thousand and one. You know, we 136 00:06:38,279 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 2: just did data entry. It was a basic assignment. So 137 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 2: I was ready to get promoted. So basically you did 138 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 2: this data entry until you got promoted to sergeant. I 139 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,359 Speaker 2: was just a cop at the time. I didn't do investigation. Yet, 140 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:51,200 Speaker 2: I didn't do anything. So you know, I sat at 141 00:06:51,400 --> 00:06:53,479 Speaker 2: the table with all the other cops and like I said, 142 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 2: we were doing the cop huma. We were joking. Everybody 143 00:06:55,560 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 2: was laughing, and guys started to go to their desks 144 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,280 Speaker 2: one by one to do their data entry. And I 145 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 2: was getting ready to go and my lieutenant approached me 146 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:05,760 Speaker 2: and he said, John, he goes, uh, you need to 147 00:07:05,839 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 2: get these reports going. You need more reports done. So 148 00:07:09,760 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 2: I was the depression. I was doing all my reports. 149 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:14,520 Speaker 2: I'm like, yeah, boss, lieutenant, I'll take care of it, 150 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,960 Speaker 2: no problem, get those reports done for you. So I 151 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 2: sat at my desk and I forgot about it. And 152 00:07:18,680 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 2: then I was doing my data entrying these reports. Kevin 153 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:24,800 Speaker 2: but coming back to me, and I'm saying, you know, 154 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:27,560 Speaker 2: what was he talking about? Why is he asking me 155 00:07:27,560 --> 00:07:29,960 Speaker 2: about these reports? I says, I know what I'm gonna do. 156 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,600 Speaker 2: I'm gonna wait till I get a closer to lunch time. 157 00:07:33,880 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 2: I'm gonna walk into the tenant's office. I'm gonna ask 158 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:37,400 Speaker 2: him directly, what are you talking about with these reports? 159 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 2: What do you need done? I'm doing my job here. 160 00:07:39,320 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 2: I got a future here, future outside of this office. 161 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: So what are we going to do? And then I 162 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 2: was sitting at the desk and then I heard this 163 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,760 Speaker 2: unbelievable sound. It was a boom, but it wasn't like 164 00:07:51,840 --> 00:07:55,200 Speaker 2: an explosion boom. I would describe it as someone took 165 00:07:55,240 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 2: something like a giant rock and throw it into a 166 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 2: dumpster and it echoed an echo boom. And I thought 167 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:04,680 Speaker 2: a piece of construction equipment fell off the roof of 168 00:08:04,720 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 2: the building. Because there was construction going on, so we 169 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,840 Speaker 2: all turns. I turned to the left and I could 170 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 2: see the window. And I turned to the left and 171 00:08:12,960 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 2: one of the sergeants was looked at the window and 172 00:08:16,160 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 2: he said, I do know exact words, but it was like, 173 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 2: oh my gosh, I can't believe this. You got to 174 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 2: see this, And he was pointing out the window, and 175 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 2: being in New York City police officer and living in 176 00:08:24,640 --> 00:08:28,080 Speaker 2: New York that is not calm and nobody gets, you know, 177 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:30,960 Speaker 2: stunned by anything we see. That was like something we 178 00:08:31,000 --> 00:08:34,080 Speaker 2: all knew something was going on. Yeah, that's when everything 179 00:08:34,160 --> 00:08:35,480 Speaker 2: changed at that moment. 180 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:39,360 Speaker 1: Okay, well, let's we'll stop it there because I want 181 00:08:39,400 --> 00:08:41,320 Speaker 1: to lead up and find a little bit more about 182 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:44,640 Speaker 1: yourself before we talk more detail about that day. A 183 00:08:44,679 --> 00:08:48,079 Speaker 1: couple of things there. When I was reading your piece 184 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: about that day and you touched on it there the 185 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: cop humor, I felt like I was in the office. 186 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,080 Speaker 1: I know exactly what that's about. You having a go 187 00:08:57,160 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: at your fellow workers, as we say in this country, 188 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:02,680 Speaker 1: taking the piss out of each other, a bit of laugh, 189 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: bit of banter, getting about your stuff. There's usually some 190 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: bosses says something that you know, you dig in you 191 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 1: think what's said about so I fully understand that that 192 00:09:12,600 --> 00:09:15,839 Speaker 1: environment going in there. But let's wind it back a 193 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:16,960 Speaker 1: little bit. Where did you grow up? 194 00:09:17,040 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 2: You grew up in New York, Yes, Queens, New York, 195 00:09:19,520 --> 00:09:21,960 Speaker 2: outside of Manhattan and could see the skyline from where 196 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:23,840 Speaker 2: I grew up in Blue Carlor neighborhood. 197 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 1: And what steered you towards policing? Was it something you 198 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: always wanted to do or is it something you fell into. 199 00:09:30,840 --> 00:09:33,400 Speaker 2: I always knew it at a very young age. I 200 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 2: remember in kindergarten talking about it and I remember writing 201 00:09:36,080 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 2: about it. And I had two incidents that happens when 202 00:09:38,760 --> 00:09:42,520 Speaker 2: I was a kid that really propelled me to police work. 203 00:09:42,559 --> 00:09:47,360 Speaker 2: And one was actually the son of Sam investigation. 204 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:50,760 Speaker 1: Because I remember that one. Yeah, yes, tell us a 205 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:51,560 Speaker 1: little bit about that. 206 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,079 Speaker 2: Yeah he was, so you know, you're aware, a son 207 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,120 Speaker 2: of Sandy Cereal killer, so very interesting person if anyone 208 00:09:58,280 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 2: doesn't know about him, he's very interesting serial killer. So 209 00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:03,960 Speaker 2: I was a little kid grown up in Queens and 210 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 2: a lot of people in my neighborhood were police officers. 211 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:08,880 Speaker 2: It was a lot of cops find in sanitation. It 212 00:10:08,960 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 2: was just you know, we were the people that worked 213 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 2: in Manhattan but lived in Queen's and it was very 214 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 2: common in the seventies. So it was the summer of 215 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 2: seventy seven, and I remember that summer was a heat wave. 216 00:10:17,840 --> 00:10:20,079 Speaker 2: It was hot, so we were always outside. So I'd 217 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 2: sit on the stoop and you know, the adults would 218 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:24,480 Speaker 2: come out and they'd say, all right, make sure everybody 219 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 2: goes inside. The son of Sam is around, or some 220 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 2: people called him the forty four caliber killer. So I 221 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 2: was only seven years old, and I'm like, I was 222 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,120 Speaker 2: being told as a serial killer in my neighborhood. Not 223 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 2: only was he in the neighborhood, he murdered three people 224 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:39,839 Speaker 2: walking distance from my house. 225 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 1: So you say, in the think of it. 226 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:44,439 Speaker 2: Yeah, he he did it all over. A lot of 227 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,319 Speaker 2: people don't know this, but he didn't, you know, hit 228 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 2: midtown Manhattan. He didn't hit the affluent areas. He went 229 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,839 Speaker 2: to the out of burrows and almost like where he 230 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 2: grew up, because he grew up in the Bronx. And 231 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:57,480 Speaker 2: you know, he shot two people in a car close 232 00:10:57,520 --> 00:11:00,560 Speaker 2: to my house, I know the exact location, and he 233 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 2: shot another woman walking. And these were the two in 234 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 2: the car and the woman walking with separate incidents and 235 00:11:05,520 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 2: close enough to where my parents were like, you know, 236 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 2: make sure you come in. You know, there's a something. 237 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:12,960 Speaker 2: They didn't use the term serial killer. They you know, 238 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 2: in the seventies, adults talked to us like we were adults. 239 00:11:15,280 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 2: They were like the forty four caliber killers here. So 240 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:20,040 Speaker 2: when the street lights go on and it gets dark, 241 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 2: get off the stoop and come inside. 242 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: So I grew up with that. 243 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:25,080 Speaker 2: And then the newspapers would come into the house in 244 00:11:25,080 --> 00:11:27,520 Speaker 2: the morning and there would be a front page headline 245 00:11:27,559 --> 00:11:30,640 Speaker 2: of what this guy did, which was graphic, you know, 246 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:34,640 Speaker 2: descriptions of people shot and cause. So at a young age, 247 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:37,199 Speaker 2: I knew there was danger out there. And I remembered 248 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 2: when they caught him because I remembered my sister talking 249 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:42,439 Speaker 2: about it. She was older than me and once again 250 00:11:42,480 --> 00:11:44,800 Speaker 2: talking about it, like, you know, I should understand this 251 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 2: at seven, and she said they caught there was a 252 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 2: gun in the car a parking ticket. So I knew 253 00:11:49,440 --> 00:11:52,040 Speaker 2: people were afraid of this guy, and I was amazed 254 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:55,880 Speaker 2: that the cops did investigative work and they caught him. 255 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 2: And at a young age, I knew I saw a 256 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 2: good versus At a young age, I just saw that 257 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 2: as the cops went out and they caught that bad guy, 258 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,040 Speaker 2: and it's real. It was on the news every day, 259 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:09,680 Speaker 2: and it was in the newspapers and it was talked about. 260 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:11,960 Speaker 2: And that really made me think about police work at 261 00:12:11,960 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 2: a young age. 262 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,199 Speaker 1: Okay. It's funny how those things just register in your 263 00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: mind and get locked in at that early age. But yeah, 264 00:12:18,920 --> 00:12:22,680 Speaker 1: I do remember that that crime. Okay, so you've decided 265 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:26,599 Speaker 1: to join the police. My understanding new York Police, and 266 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:29,959 Speaker 1: this is limited understanding, but just in my own experience, 267 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: I've spoken to people from New York and yeah, when 268 00:12:33,240 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: I've been traveling overseas and you mentioned you're a cop, 269 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 1: and there's two reactions you tend to get with people 270 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,559 Speaker 1: from New York. They if you like you for it, 271 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,040 Speaker 1: or they look at you and just sort of and 272 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: the energy just get sucked out of the room. It 273 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:50,680 Speaker 1: seems to be a polarizing career in the city of 274 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 1: New York. Am I am I misreading it? 275 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 2: No, not at all, You're correct. Do you either get 276 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:57,040 Speaker 2: people that want to hear everything, or they take a 277 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:58,760 Speaker 2: step back and they look at you and you know 278 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:02,200 Speaker 2: they're thinking about something and you just don't ask. It's 279 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 2: interesting at a barbecue when that happens, because we were 280 00:13:04,559 --> 00:13:06,720 Speaker 2: warned about that in the police academy. The instructors would 281 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:08,840 Speaker 2: come out and say, we'll watch. When people know what 282 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:11,280 Speaker 2: you do, you're going to get either no one wants 283 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 2: to talk to you, or we want to tell you 284 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:14,800 Speaker 2: everything that went wrong and you're to blame. Yeah. 285 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:19,439 Speaker 1: Well, I picked that up in my travels that people 286 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,079 Speaker 1: from New York definitely had a strong view one way 287 00:13:22,160 --> 00:13:24,600 Speaker 1: or the other about cops, either love them or hate them. 288 00:13:24,640 --> 00:13:28,360 Speaker 1: They didn't seem to be that in between. How old 289 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:29,600 Speaker 1: were you when you joined the cops. 290 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,080 Speaker 2: I was twenty three. I was in college, and like 291 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 2: I said, I knew I was going to do it. 292 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:35,199 Speaker 2: A few of my friends I grew up with we 293 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:37,600 Speaker 2: used to play stickball on the street and we should 294 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 2: just basically take a rub a ball with a stick, 295 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 2: you know, was a cross between a bat and a stick. 296 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:44,560 Speaker 2: And we bought them and we just hit it and 297 00:13:44,600 --> 00:13:45,960 Speaker 2: that's what we played. And I think out of the 298 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:47,880 Speaker 2: six of us, four of us became cops. So I 299 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:50,240 Speaker 2: kind of knew it. And I was twenty three years old. 300 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 2: I had one more year in college, and I just said, 301 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 2: you know, I knew the PD was going to call me. 302 00:13:54,559 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 2: So I went into the NYPD in nineteen eighty three. 303 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,199 Speaker 1: The training. Did you enjoy the training? Did you like 304 00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:04,520 Speaker 1: it's I talked from my experience in policing. I was 305 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:07,320 Speaker 1: working in the building trade and then went into policing. 306 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:10,560 Speaker 1: And I know the moment I hit the academy, it's 307 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:13,319 Speaker 1: a glove that just fitted. I thought, I found what 308 00:14:13,440 --> 00:14:15,160 Speaker 1: I want to do it. It just felt right from 309 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,280 Speaker 1: the moment I walked in the door. How did you 310 00:14:17,320 --> 00:14:17,640 Speaker 1: find it? 311 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 2: Yes, I found it that way. Also, I liked the discipline. 312 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:24,080 Speaker 2: I like the quasi military structure. I didn't mind being 313 00:14:24,160 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 2: yelled at if you weren't standard street. You know, I 314 00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 2: learned how to salute and stand street and standard attention, 315 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 2: and you know, they made a standard attention for sometimes 316 00:14:31,960 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 2: thirty minutes, and you know, I think they were at 317 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 2: times just massive wordess. But the times we were just 318 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 2: being goofballs and they were like, Okay, now you're going 319 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 2: to stand attention to thirty minutes. And I understood the 320 00:14:40,200 --> 00:14:43,280 Speaker 2: discipline of it, and I liked the academy. I had 321 00:14:43,320 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 2: come from college, so the work in the books was okay, 322 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 2: and the physical I was ready for that too, So 323 00:14:49,080 --> 00:14:50,440 Speaker 2: I enjoyed the police academy. 324 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: Did you what was your family's attitude to join the police, 325 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: Like policing is across the world, is a dangerous occupation 326 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: in New York, I think it probably arises a little bit, 327 00:15:00,400 --> 00:15:03,120 Speaker 1: a little bit hard. Were they happy with you going 328 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:03,880 Speaker 1: down that path? 329 00:15:04,320 --> 00:15:07,760 Speaker 2: Well, my mom was not. She was wanted me to 330 00:15:07,800 --> 00:15:10,080 Speaker 2: do other things, and I kept telling her, Mom, this 331 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 2: is what I want to do. And I'm sure she 332 00:15:11,680 --> 00:15:13,440 Speaker 2: knew because I was watching all these cop shows at 333 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:15,440 Speaker 2: such a young age and talking about police work, So 334 00:15:15,760 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: I think she always knew anyway up against it. Yeah, 335 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 2: she just had to say what she needed to say. 336 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:23,600 Speaker 2: My uncle was a police officer, and when I was 337 00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:25,320 Speaker 2: a little kid, you know, we'd sit around at the 338 00:15:25,360 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 2: Italian dinners and you're a cop, let me see your gun, 339 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:30,560 Speaker 2: and my uncle say, sit out, kid. And you know, 340 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:33,120 Speaker 2: my uncle never talked about it. He was that generation 341 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 2: they just didn't talk about it. And then my cousin 342 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 2: became a cop, so there was two members of the 343 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:42,200 Speaker 2: service in my family. So I my father went. When 344 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:44,640 Speaker 2: the NYPD first called me, I said, Dad, I got 345 00:15:44,680 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 2: this letter. The NYPD wants me to come down for 346 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:49,880 Speaker 2: an investigation. My dad's like, all right, let's get you 347 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 2: a suit. You're going on some interviews. So my dad 348 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 2: was very pro for it. 349 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:54,440 Speaker 1: He was for it. 350 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, he was all I guess he didn't want 351 00:15:55,960 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 2: to support me, and he was happy with it. 352 00:15:57,840 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: So okay. So you get through the academy and you 353 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:03,680 Speaker 1: get out of the police academy, you think you know 354 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:06,360 Speaker 1: what you're doing, because there's a lot of skills you've 355 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:08,680 Speaker 1: got to learn. You've got to learn your legislation, your 356 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: powers of arrests, you know, handling people, weapons training. There's 357 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: a whole lot that you come out with from the 358 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: academy and you think you're ready to hit the streets. 359 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,040 Speaker 1: But if your experience is like my experience, when you 360 00:16:20,120 --> 00:16:22,720 Speaker 1: walk out on the streets, that's when you actually start 361 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:25,560 Speaker 1: start learning. And I would imagine in New York it's 362 00:16:25,680 --> 00:16:29,640 Speaker 1: learning on steroids. What was your first times when you 363 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:32,680 Speaker 1: went out walk the streets as a New York cop. 364 00:16:33,960 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 2: Well, you're correct, you know, the academy could teach you 365 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 2: everything in a book. They could show you movies, they 366 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:41,120 Speaker 2: could have professionals up there talking and they could do 367 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 2: scenarios and you could do handcuffing everything. But they tell 368 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 2: you you're going to learn everything on the street, and 369 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:50,280 Speaker 2: you're going to learn fast, and I was surprised at 370 00:16:50,680 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 2: how fast it came. There's no real transition. They say 371 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,000 Speaker 2: there's a training and this and that, but you know, 372 00:16:57,040 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 2: you're working with other carps and other supervisors. You know, 373 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 2: if the crap it's a fan, they're not going to go, okay, well, rookie, 374 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:04,280 Speaker 2: you stand there, We're going to take care of this. 375 00:17:04,400 --> 00:17:06,480 Speaker 2: A lot of times, you know, you're the you're the cop, 376 00:17:06,520 --> 00:17:08,560 Speaker 2: and even the people on the street, they don't want 377 00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:10,480 Speaker 2: to hear that you just got there. If they have 378 00:17:10,520 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 2: a problem, they're going to get in your face and 379 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 2: be like, officers, I just got robbed. You can't tell 380 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:17,320 Speaker 2: them I'm a rookie. I just got here. You can't 381 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:18,560 Speaker 2: do that. You got to handle it. 382 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, very very much. So like there is no you're 383 00:17:21,480 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 1: out there, you wear that uniform and you're you're now 384 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:26,760 Speaker 1: the cop. You can't put put your hand up there. 385 00:17:26,920 --> 00:17:29,520 Speaker 1: Where were you first stationed and what was the type 386 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,440 Speaker 1: of work that you were doing first up? 387 00:17:32,040 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 2: Well, everybody goes to patrol right outside the It's not 388 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:37,520 Speaker 2: like the movies. Movies got it all wrong. And it's 389 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:39,639 Speaker 2: in the NYPD. I could speak for that. Everybody goes 390 00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:41,440 Speaker 2: right to patrol. You don't really get in a car. 391 00:17:41,480 --> 00:17:42,879 Speaker 2: It's there's so many of us. They put you on 392 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,919 Speaker 2: foot posts, so they give you these crappy posts that 393 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:49,680 Speaker 2: nobody else wants to take. Guarding the prisoners, bad accidents. 394 00:17:49,720 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 2: You got to wait. I mean you mentioned in your 395 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,080 Speaker 2: book the crime scene you're always standing outside the tape, 396 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,480 Speaker 2: not really inside. Yeah, you never really get inside the tape, 397 00:17:57,480 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 2: but you do. But you're standing outside the tape, and 398 00:17:59,680 --> 00:18:01,120 Speaker 2: you know, people are walking up to you and asking 399 00:18:01,119 --> 00:18:02,440 Speaker 2: you a questions. You're like, I don't know. I was 400 00:18:02,480 --> 00:18:03,920 Speaker 2: just put at the tape edge. Just don't go through. 401 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,520 Speaker 2: I don't have an answer for you. And so the 402 00:18:07,560 --> 00:18:09,400 Speaker 2: first week I was there, I don't think I saw 403 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:12,560 Speaker 2: a car. I saw my sergeant, and you know, like 404 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:15,879 Speaker 2: the first day or two, I think it was my 405 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:17,639 Speaker 2: In the second day I was there, I was on 406 00:18:17,680 --> 00:18:20,639 Speaker 2: a foot post and I witnessed a fight in the street. 407 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:22,399 Speaker 2: But it was a very busy foot post, and you know, 408 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:24,639 Speaker 2: this was everybody gets on the train there and they 409 00:18:24,640 --> 00:18:26,320 Speaker 2: head into the city. And I witnessed a fight and 410 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:27,760 Speaker 2: I was like, all right, guys, you go this way, 411 00:18:27,840 --> 00:18:30,000 Speaker 2: you go that way. And then one guy got on 412 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:32,840 Speaker 2: his bicycle and left the other guy, you know, in 413 00:18:33,119 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 2: front of everybody, because a crowd gathered, and I guess 414 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,320 Speaker 2: the guy wanted to show up for the crowd. You know. 415 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:39,560 Speaker 2: He rips his shirt open and he's telling me to 416 00:18:39,560 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 2: shoot him, and I'm like, you know, wow, this this 417 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:47,159 Speaker 2: came fast, you know. So I'm like, you know, I 418 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 2: was in college waiting on tables a year ago, and 419 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 2: this is what I'm doing right now. So the guy's 420 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 2: yelling at me to shoot shoot him, and then he 421 00:18:54,200 --> 00:18:56,280 Speaker 2: had already I think, hit somebody with a garbage pail, 422 00:18:56,640 --> 00:18:59,040 Speaker 2: you know, metal garbage pail. So it was an interesting situation. 423 00:18:59,359 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 2: So I actually stepped back because I'm thinking really fast, 424 00:19:02,560 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 2: like wow, you know, there's no academy instructor here. This 425 00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:07,639 Speaker 2: is on me to handle it. So he took a 426 00:19:07,640 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 2: step towards me. I took out my night stick, and 427 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,080 Speaker 2: you know, I did the whole academy pose, but it 428 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:14,760 Speaker 2: behind my and my mind's race and saying, well, I'm 429 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 2: not obviously not gonna shoot him, but if he steps 430 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:19,639 Speaker 2: close enough then I have to. I will crack him 431 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:21,199 Speaker 2: with this stick, which I really didn't want to do. 432 00:19:21,320 --> 00:19:24,800 Speaker 2: The second day I was there, and then I think 433 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:28,120 Speaker 2: he realized that he was going to get hurt, and 434 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 2: so he just walked away. And all these other cops 435 00:19:30,640 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 2: did come by because I think somebody might have told them, 436 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:34,399 Speaker 2: because there was other cops on the footposts, all the 437 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,679 Speaker 2: other rookies, and I was explaining it and they were like, 438 00:19:36,720 --> 00:19:38,800 Speaker 2: all right, it's good, okay, have a good day by 439 00:19:39,200 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 2: And then five minutes later people are asking me directions 440 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,000 Speaker 2: like this never happened. So things get thrown at you 441 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:46,200 Speaker 2: very fast, and you have to handle it very fast. 442 00:19:46,760 --> 00:19:50,040 Speaker 1: You need to understand, Yeah, the way you describe that, 443 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,000 Speaker 1: like it's a significant thing, it's an incident that you've 444 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,360 Speaker 1: been confronted with so early in your career. But you're 445 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: quite right. The other cops just, well, that's just to 446 00:19:57,840 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 1: die in the die in the place. Sure, But and 447 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 1: it is about ye know, if you go in and 448 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,320 Speaker 1: I think what you demonstrate that they're policing isn't black 449 00:20:07,359 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: and white, Like you've got to be able to navigate 450 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: your way through situations like yeah, if someone came back, 451 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:15,119 Speaker 1: you're like that you're entitled to hit him. But if 452 00:20:15,119 --> 00:20:17,520 Speaker 1: you can de escalate, that's the type of thing that 453 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:19,520 Speaker 1: you've got to try to do as a police officer. 454 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 1: Did you have role models where the people that you 455 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:24,960 Speaker 1: looked up to and thought, that's the type of cop 456 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:26,960 Speaker 1: I want to be, Like, I'm gonna what he or 457 00:20:27,000 --> 00:20:28,960 Speaker 1: she's doing, That's who I want to learn from. 458 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:32,159 Speaker 2: Yeah, because there's so many, you know, members of the 459 00:20:32,520 --> 00:20:35,120 Speaker 2: I think thirty of us went to the precinct from 460 00:20:35,160 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 2: the academy so and there was already probably one hundred 461 00:20:37,640 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 2: something already there. So you start to see people's personalities, 462 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 2: and people come from all walks of life. In the NYPD, 463 00:20:43,880 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 2: you get the business type of person, you get the tough, 464 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,840 Speaker 2: gay type of person, you get the social worker, you 465 00:20:48,880 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 2: get all tapes. So I started to notice who really 466 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,640 Speaker 2: could de escalate a situation. I noticed who could talk 467 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:58,840 Speaker 2: somebody down. I noticed who could, you know, see a 468 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 2: situation and see something wrong. There was times I worked 469 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:03,639 Speaker 2: with some offices that maybe didn't have a lot of 470 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 2: time on but one or two years, and they would 471 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 2: catch something very quickly, like catch something as in, we 472 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:11,400 Speaker 2: had an accident on the street, and all these people 473 00:21:11,440 --> 00:21:13,919 Speaker 2: started walking up to me talking to me. So I 474 00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 2: was surprised, like, there's a car accident, Why are people 475 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:17,679 Speaker 2: interested in talking to me? And we sit in the 476 00:21:17,720 --> 00:21:19,679 Speaker 2: car and he goes roll the window up. He goes, 477 00:21:19,680 --> 00:21:22,000 Speaker 2: they're all paid. This guy's paying them to be witnesses. 478 00:21:22,320 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 2: I would have never thought of that, but this cop 479 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:26,479 Speaker 2: with two years on just caught onto it. All right, 480 00:21:26,480 --> 00:21:28,639 Speaker 2: they're paid witnesses. So I'm rolling the window down and 481 00:21:28,680 --> 00:21:30,600 Speaker 2: I'm thinking, you know, he didn't tell me how to 482 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:32,960 Speaker 2: handle this, So I'm taking their names and writing it down. 483 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:34,520 Speaker 2: After about the third person, I'm like, I think I 484 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 2: got enough witnesses. So I realized that, all right, I 485 00:21:37,320 --> 00:21:38,639 Speaker 2: just got to write these names down to make it 486 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:41,120 Speaker 2: look good. If this motorist wants to pay them, that's 487 00:21:41,160 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 2: on him, but I don't have to put them in 488 00:21:42,520 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 2: the report. We're just making the report for the accident. 489 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 2: So I saw talent at places that every day within 490 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:52,720 Speaker 2: police work, and you learn from those situations, and that 491 00:21:52,800 --> 00:21:55,239 Speaker 2: helps you throughout your career because you will handle that 492 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:57,200 Speaker 2: same situation again. And I've been on the other end 493 00:21:57,200 --> 00:21:59,240 Speaker 2: when I was the one driving, and I saw the 494 00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:02,600 Speaker 2: paid witnesses step forward, and I'm like, oh, that's interesting. Great, 495 00:22:02,760 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 2: you want to help out a total stranger and give 496 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,880 Speaker 2: a statement. Okay, I'll take your statement. 497 00:22:07,520 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's interesting. But what you said there, you learn 498 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: and you build up your experience. I found that I 499 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: learned something in police in every single day I came 500 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:20,320 Speaker 1: to work. And the more experience you had when you 501 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:22,840 Speaker 1: were confronted with something, it's not sort of and I 502 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:26,080 Speaker 1: think this is where you see these battle hardened old 503 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:29,399 Speaker 1: cops that nothing's going to FaZe and because they've probably 504 00:22:29,760 --> 00:22:32,119 Speaker 1: been there, done that soon it before. And that's just 505 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: in that experience that you've built up and all the 506 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,439 Speaker 1: little little I won't say tricks, but the instinct you 507 00:22:38,480 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: have for situations that you pick up the longer you 508 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:47,560 Speaker 1: spend in the job. Did you have a direction you 509 00:22:47,600 --> 00:22:49,680 Speaker 1: wanted to go in policing? Was there? Did you want 510 00:22:49,680 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: to go into investigations or tactical or what was your interest? 511 00:22:55,080 --> 00:22:57,840 Speaker 2: Early on? AWD, you know, it's it, that's it. We 512 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,960 Speaker 2: were doing our work and then we would handle reports. 513 00:23:00,960 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 2: We'd make reports, so we go to situations and a 514 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:05,480 Speaker 2: lot of times I would take these reports for you know, 515 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:07,840 Speaker 2: like a really bad robbery that just happened and somebody 516 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 2: was assaulted nothing like murder or nothing like that. I 517 00:23:09,800 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 2: would take these reports and I would call my supervisor say, yeah, 518 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:15,399 Speaker 2: this is a legit robbery. This person was robbed, they're injured. 519 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 2: Here's the description, here's that. And I would take the report. 520 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:19,679 Speaker 2: And so I was like, all right, great, your report's done. 521 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:21,160 Speaker 2: All right, drop it off in the priests and bring 522 00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 2: it to the detectives upstairs. And I would go in 523 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:25,680 Speaker 2: and I would bring it to the detectives upstairs. And 524 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:27,560 Speaker 2: you know, it was it was like the movies to me. 525 00:23:27,600 --> 00:23:30,119 Speaker 2: I walked into this detective squad and it was the 526 00:23:30,200 --> 00:23:32,720 Speaker 2: old fan blowing. You know, no one cleaned the fan 527 00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 2: in five years. There was you know, a couple of 528 00:23:35,359 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 2: typewriters typing away because this was the nineties. There was 529 00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,600 Speaker 2: a couple of giant computers. And then you got a 530 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,119 Speaker 2: cop what is you know, a detective with his you 531 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:45,000 Speaker 2: know tie half on, and he's looking at you like, 532 00:23:45,520 --> 00:23:47,960 Speaker 2: why are you coming in this here to talk to us? 533 00:23:48,119 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 2: And yeah, you were a little nervous, but you can't 534 00:23:49,520 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 2: show it to them. See you hand them the report 535 00:23:51,280 --> 00:23:53,040 Speaker 2: and they're like, robbery kid, huh what do you got? 536 00:23:53,080 --> 00:23:55,160 Speaker 2: And they're like oh wow. And then all of a sudden, 537 00:23:55,160 --> 00:23:56,880 Speaker 2: I would hear them talking and I'm like, I think 538 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:59,880 Speaker 2: these guys already know who did this robbery. They would 539 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:02,160 Speaker 2: look at the report and go I had a feeling. 540 00:24:02,200 --> 00:24:03,880 Speaker 2: I watched their wheel spin and I'm like, They're gonna 541 00:24:03,880 --> 00:24:06,480 Speaker 2: go out and grab this guy now. And I'm like, wow, 542 00:24:06,520 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 2: you know what these detectives. They're doing something here that's 543 00:24:09,160 --> 00:24:12,159 Speaker 2: beyond patrol. And I knew very early on I was 544 00:24:12,200 --> 00:24:13,440 Speaker 2: going into detective bureau. 545 00:24:14,440 --> 00:24:17,800 Speaker 1: Yeah. The way you describe that, John, it is so 546 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:21,480 Speaker 1: similar to my experience. You're young, you're keen, you're in uniform, 547 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:24,760 Speaker 1: as we call it over here, and you get that 548 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: report and you've got to get the detective's office, and 549 00:24:26,800 --> 00:24:29,600 Speaker 1: it was intimidating just to walk in there. Why it 550 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:33,480 Speaker 1: was intimidating, I don't know, but at first they're the 551 00:24:33,520 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: detectives very much. So you just described what. I'd walk 552 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: into the office of typewriters. There'd be ashtrays, they'd be 553 00:24:40,560 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 1: people with their feet up on the desk. Sometimes they'd 554 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:45,680 Speaker 1: be playing cards. If you go in there at lunchtime 555 00:24:45,720 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: and it's almost look at you, what what do you want? 556 00:24:48,119 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: And you walk out you feel humiliated, but quite curious 557 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 1: about what's going on in there, so I understand where 558 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 1: you're coming from, but it has has an attraction. Okay, 559 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:00,639 Speaker 1: let's talk about well fast forwar, because I want to 560 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: come back and talk in depth, and we'll probably do 561 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:05,679 Speaker 1: that in part two about your career and different different 562 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,560 Speaker 1: things that you saw and did, and investigations that you're on, 563 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:11,800 Speaker 1: in particular missing persons. I'm very curious about having a 564 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:14,400 Speaker 1: chat with you about that. How long had you been 565 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:16,640 Speaker 1: in the cops before September. 566 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 2: Eleventh, ninety three to two one? Nine years? 567 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:22,639 Speaker 1: Nine years? Okay, so almost at that veteran stage. You're 568 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: in an experienced police officer. You've been there, done that, 569 00:25:25,720 --> 00:25:28,679 Speaker 1: seeing things. You told us at the start of the 570 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: podcast when you heard that explosion, then you saw someone 571 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:34,639 Speaker 1: look out and call you to the window. Can you 572 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:37,400 Speaker 1: take us from there? Because to get the first hand 573 00:25:37,560 --> 00:25:40,800 Speaker 1: we watched it over here obviously, as the whole world did, 574 00:25:41,040 --> 00:25:43,080 Speaker 1: but to have someone that was on the ground and 575 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,879 Speaker 1: experience what was going in there, the chaos and the 576 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,280 Speaker 1: panic and everything else that goes into play on that day, 577 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:50,200 Speaker 1: just take us through it if you could. 578 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:52,040 Speaker 2: Sure I could take it through it. I remember that day. 579 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,240 Speaker 2: I remember everything about it. There's like every little minute detail. 580 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:56,840 Speaker 2: Maybe because I was rating at the time and I 581 00:25:56,920 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 2: wrote about it, but either way, I could remember that 582 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:02,119 Speaker 2: entire day. I remembered when I heard that explosion, that 583 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,760 Speaker 2: sound didn't sound natural, not that explosion sound should, but 584 00:26:04,960 --> 00:26:08,920 Speaker 2: it definitely sounded something was really off with this. And 585 00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 2: when the other supervisor yelled at the window, of course, 586 00:26:12,600 --> 00:26:14,320 Speaker 2: human nature, you've got to go see what's going on. 587 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:16,920 Speaker 2: So I went to the window and I saw one 588 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:19,000 Speaker 2: of the towers and I saw a hole in it, 589 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:24,000 Speaker 2: and I saw it looked like destruction, like a black 590 00:26:24,000 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 2: hole in there. And one the first thing I noticed 591 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,560 Speaker 2: was there was papers shooting out of the hole in 592 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 2: the building. Not only were they shooting out, they were 593 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:33,879 Speaker 2: shooting straight out and going straight up. I guess the 594 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:36,400 Speaker 2: wind or something. I don't know. I didn't see any 595 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 2: flames yet. So I looked at it and I said, 596 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 2: this is no accident. This is a bomb. Somebody put 597 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,719 Speaker 2: a bomb in that building, because you know, don't forget, 598 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:46,520 Speaker 2: you know, somebody put a bomb in the building in 599 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,560 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety two in the basement. So we were told 600 00:26:49,600 --> 00:26:52,160 Speaker 2: about that in the academy. That happened and wasn't far 601 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 2: off from people's memory at that time, so I knew 602 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 2: it was no accident. I said, what do I gotta do. 603 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,320 Speaker 2: The first thing I said is this was two thousand 604 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:00,800 Speaker 2: and one. I didn't I have a cell phone. So 605 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:03,280 Speaker 2: if any of you listeners know what it's like to 606 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 2: not have a cell phone, it's a different time. It 607 00:27:05,480 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 2: was no cell phones. I had to go to a payphone, 608 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,120 Speaker 2: and the only payphone was downstairs in the lobby. Because 609 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:12,040 Speaker 2: my wife had worked in Midtown Manhattan, I knew I 610 00:27:12,080 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 2: had to call her because you know, I would assume 611 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 2: something else would happen. So I went to the payphone, 612 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 2: and you know, old school, I took the court or 613 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:21,879 Speaker 2: put it in the phone dial toub work number, and 614 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 2: she got on the phone like, Hi, I'm like, somebody 615 00:27:25,440 --> 00:27:27,919 Speaker 2: just put a bomb in the tower. So she paused 616 00:27:27,960 --> 00:27:29,680 Speaker 2: and she said what I said, somebody put a bomb 617 00:27:29,680 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 2: in tower and I didn't know it was yet, I 618 00:27:31,080 --> 00:27:34,160 Speaker 2: just assumed it was. And she's like, oh my gosh, 619 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 2: what happened. So she had the TV on and it 620 00:27:36,359 --> 00:27:38,800 Speaker 2: was live on TV. Now I couldn't watch TV because 621 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:41,120 Speaker 2: we didn't have one there and nobody had cell phones yet. 622 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 2: Nobody had iPhones. So I remember what I told her, 623 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:46,440 Speaker 2: and this will be a big part to the story. 624 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 2: I said, Okay, I'm very close to the towers. I said, 625 00:27:50,560 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 2: they're going to send us there. After I'm done at 626 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:56,720 Speaker 2: the towers, I'll call you back. And I left it 627 00:27:56,760 --> 00:28:00,439 Speaker 2: at that, and then I went back upstairs, walked up 628 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:03,840 Speaker 2: the stairs, and I went back and then I saw 629 00:28:04,119 --> 00:28:06,200 Speaker 2: more people at the window. Other people from the building 630 00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:07,920 Speaker 2: had I guess we had one of the better views, 631 00:28:07,960 --> 00:28:09,840 Speaker 2: if you could call it, because we were directly in 632 00:28:09,840 --> 00:28:13,120 Speaker 2: front of it and you had to look straight and up. 633 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 2: I think I was on the ninth of the eleventh 634 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 2: floor of my building. And then as I'm looking out, 635 00:28:18,440 --> 00:28:23,120 Speaker 2: I see something coming from across the sky. And well 636 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:25,440 Speaker 2: before that, I had another part to the story. As 637 00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:29,720 Speaker 2: I was watching the first tower, I saw stuff falling 638 00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 2: from the building, and I was like, wow, debris falling. 639 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:34,280 Speaker 2: And I start a helicopter. So I'm like, what's falling 640 00:28:34,320 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 2: from the towers? And as I watched closer. I wrote 641 00:28:37,040 --> 00:28:38,480 Speaker 2: about this a lot in the book, and I got 642 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:41,239 Speaker 2: a little more elaborate. There was no debris falling. I 643 00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,880 Speaker 2: was watching people jumping from the towers and I just 644 00:28:44,920 --> 00:28:48,200 Speaker 2: couldn't believe that that's what I was witnessing, and I 645 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 2: was like, Wow, that's when reality hit. I says, there 646 00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,560 Speaker 2: are people in those towers that are not going to 647 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:56,240 Speaker 2: make it home today. So I had to step back. 648 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 2: I couldn't watch any further. I wrote more about it 649 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 2: in the book, some of the images that I still 650 00:29:01,440 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 2: think about. 651 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,360 Speaker 1: Just on that. I've pulled out a quote from your 652 00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: book about that, because it's as bout as confronting as 653 00:29:09,280 --> 00:29:11,400 Speaker 1: a thing that you could see, and as a cop, 654 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:14,200 Speaker 1: you've seen a lot of stuff, but that I just 655 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 1: read out a short, short passage here from your piece 656 00:29:18,160 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: you wrote about. I soon horrified that what I was witnessing. 657 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:24,320 Speaker 1: People were jumping from the tower. Tiny figures with arms 658 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:27,960 Speaker 1: and legs flailing, were hurtling themselves out of the smoke 659 00:29:28,000 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: filled windows. Some looked as if they were doing somersaults 660 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 1: down the side of the building. I was now frozen 661 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:37,400 Speaker 1: with a dead stare at those towers. Yeah, what can 662 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:41,760 Speaker 1: you say about that? This is something people shouldn't see. 663 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 2: No, it's definitely not something people's and it's nothing I 664 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:51,880 Speaker 2: ever believed they would see. It was unbelievable, and I 665 00:29:51,880 --> 00:29:54,560 Speaker 2: didn't know it was going to continue. So I was 666 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:58,040 Speaker 2: watching that, and you know, it's something that you just 667 00:29:58,120 --> 00:30:01,240 Speaker 2: can't it's already in your memory and it's like an accident. 668 00:30:01,280 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 2: You just got to eventually stop looking. So I went 669 00:30:03,960 --> 00:30:05,640 Speaker 2: back to my desk and I sat down and I 670 00:30:05,760 --> 00:30:07,680 Speaker 2: just tried to get my composure. And then I said 671 00:30:07,680 --> 00:30:10,040 Speaker 2: to myself, this is the same desk that only twenty 672 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:11,680 Speaker 2: minutes ago, I was ready to talk to my lieutenant 673 00:30:11,680 --> 00:30:12,959 Speaker 2: about some bull crap report. 674 00:30:13,200 --> 00:30:15,200 Speaker 1: I'm like, that was a big issue in your life. 675 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, everything, yeah, yeah, everything just got turned upside down. 676 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 2: And so sure enough, I went back to the window. 677 00:30:22,000 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 2: And as I got back to the window, what I 678 00:30:23,600 --> 00:30:26,400 Speaker 2: was saying earlier is I saw something coming from across 679 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 2: the sky. As I looked out the window and the 680 00:30:28,840 --> 00:30:30,960 Speaker 2: towers were in front of me. So I did not 681 00:30:31,040 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 2: see the actual plane, but I saw I don't know 682 00:30:33,120 --> 00:30:37,360 Speaker 2: what it's called, when the wings have the uh the 683 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:41,640 Speaker 2: jet stream going down and it makes like a smoke line. 684 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:44,000 Speaker 2: I saw the two smoke lines coming across the city, 685 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 2: and I was like, I went to say, what is 686 00:30:46,840 --> 00:30:48,880 Speaker 2: And before I said that, I saw it hit the 687 00:30:48,880 --> 00:30:51,720 Speaker 2: rear of the building. And this was the other tower 688 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:55,959 Speaker 2: that wasn't struck the second plot second plane, and not 689 00:30:56,000 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 2: only did it hit the building, it went into it 690 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:02,040 Speaker 2: and shot out the the front. I saw pieces of 691 00:31:02,040 --> 00:31:05,480 Speaker 2: it shootout the front, and I was frozen. And then 692 00:31:05,960 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 2: with strangers, I didn't hear anything, and then all of 693 00:31:08,080 --> 00:31:11,760 Speaker 2: a sudden, I heard the boom again, different sounding this time, 694 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:15,560 Speaker 2: but I heard it. And the shockwave hit like five 695 00:31:15,600 --> 00:31:19,040 Speaker 2: seconds later, and the building my windows were shaking where 696 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:23,280 Speaker 2: I was standing, and I was like everything. I would 697 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:26,160 Speaker 2: describe it like a movie that you could not hit pause. 698 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:27,760 Speaker 2: It was like I was being forced to watch a 699 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 2: movie I didn't want to sit through and I could 700 00:31:29,520 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 2: not hit pause. That's the best I could describe it. 701 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:35,239 Speaker 2: And I looked to the left, I looked at the right. 702 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,320 Speaker 2: I said, we gotta get out of this building. I said, 703 00:31:38,520 --> 00:31:41,239 Speaker 2: because I would assume that something else was coming, and 704 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 2: I still didn't know what it was. Even though I 705 00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:45,080 Speaker 2: saw I could to explain it now at the time, 706 00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 2: I really didn't comprehend it. It wasn't until later, so 707 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 2: I went to the stairs. I knew enough not to 708 00:31:50,800 --> 00:31:53,040 Speaker 2: take the elevator. I learned enough. You don't get in 709 00:31:53,080 --> 00:31:55,880 Speaker 2: elevators in bad situation. The last thing I wanted to 710 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,160 Speaker 2: do is stuck in an elevator. So I went to 711 00:31:59,200 --> 00:32:01,480 Speaker 2: the steps, and I remembered there was two detectives and 712 00:32:02,000 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 2: they had high heels on and they were moving it 713 00:32:04,880 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 2: down those stairs, and I ran with them, and I 714 00:32:07,320 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 2: remember touching the handrail a few times, but I don't 715 00:32:09,840 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 2: remember touching the steps. 716 00:32:11,120 --> 00:32:11,239 Speaker 1: Man. 717 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:15,120 Speaker 2: I went down those nine flights in record speed, and 718 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 2: I got to the front of the building, and then 719 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 2: I ran past that pay phone I was at and 720 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,200 Speaker 2: then I saw I saw like chaos in front of 721 00:32:23,200 --> 00:32:25,360 Speaker 2: the building. I saw people running in different directions, and 722 00:32:25,960 --> 00:32:29,000 Speaker 2: I saw some cops briefly talking and running towards the towers, 723 00:32:29,080 --> 00:32:32,400 Speaker 2: and I saw other cops dumbfounded. I saw some police 724 00:32:32,400 --> 00:32:35,280 Speaker 2: recruits just not knowing what to do. And there was 725 00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 2: a police recruit and she sat on the floor and cried, 726 00:32:38,440 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 2: and I walked over to her. I said, just get up, 727 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,160 Speaker 2: just stand up, and that's all I could tell. I 728 00:32:44,200 --> 00:32:45,720 Speaker 2: had nothing else to tell her. I didn't know what 729 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:47,479 Speaker 2: to say, so I really know what to do. When 730 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:50,400 Speaker 2: I was watching the towers, and it was, like I said, 731 00:32:50,440 --> 00:32:53,160 Speaker 2: there was mobs of people besides the building I was in. 732 00:32:53,240 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 2: It seems like all Lower Manhattan instantly was out. It 733 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:58,320 Speaker 2: was like an ant hole and you just shook it 734 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:00,920 Speaker 2: up and all the ants took off. So a guy 735 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 2: who worked with came up to me, goes, John, where 736 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:04,440 Speaker 2: are you going? I said, I don't know. He goes, 737 00:33:04,480 --> 00:33:06,280 Speaker 2: what do you want to do? I said, listen, let's 738 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:08,480 Speaker 2: get a little uptown where there's no big buildings and 739 00:33:08,520 --> 00:33:09,920 Speaker 2: we'll figure it out. So he goes, all right. So 740 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 2: we did a very fast walk uptown. And as we 741 00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:15,440 Speaker 2: were walking uptown, there was a lot of people to 742 00:33:15,600 --> 00:33:16,840 Speaker 2: left to me, a lot of people to the right 743 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:18,280 Speaker 2: of me, and they were all walking and we were 744 00:33:18,280 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 2: walking fast. And there's a federal courthouse in Low Manhattan 745 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:24,240 Speaker 2: with big giant Gothic cement steps. I was by the 746 00:33:24,240 --> 00:33:28,440 Speaker 2: Federal Courthouse and the floor started rumbling, so I didn't 747 00:33:28,440 --> 00:33:30,680 Speaker 2: know what it was. I thought something was coming from 748 00:33:30,680 --> 00:33:33,320 Speaker 2: the sky, so I looked around. I didn't see nothing, 749 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:36,040 Speaker 2: but the floor is rumbling under my feet, and so 750 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 2: instantly I dove under a parked car and I hit 751 00:33:39,960 --> 00:33:42,160 Speaker 2: like next to the wheelwell, and then there was a 752 00:33:42,160 --> 00:33:44,200 Speaker 2: woman under the car. I don't know if she followed 753 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:45,760 Speaker 2: me and doved or she was already there, and she 754 00:33:45,760 --> 00:33:47,280 Speaker 2: was an elderly woman and we looked at each other 755 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:49,520 Speaker 2: and she had fear in her face and I couldn't. 756 00:33:49,560 --> 00:33:51,080 Speaker 2: I didn't know what to tell her, and she I 757 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:52,400 Speaker 2: don't even know if she knew as a cop because 758 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:54,320 Speaker 2: I didn't have uniform on. I had my kakis on 759 00:33:54,360 --> 00:33:56,640 Speaker 2: in my polo shirt. And a man walked by and 760 00:33:56,640 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 2: looked at me and goes, what are you doing? It's 761 00:33:58,640 --> 00:34:02,600 Speaker 2: just a subway. I'm like what. So I looked outside 762 00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:04,360 Speaker 2: the wheel well and I saw the smoke coming from 763 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:07,040 Speaker 2: Lower Manhattan. Now I don't it's not smoke. This was 764 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,880 Speaker 2: a curtain of debris. It was thick, it was black, 765 00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,480 Speaker 2: it was ugly, it was rolling, and it was wavy, 766 00:34:15,560 --> 00:34:17,839 Speaker 2: and it was coming up the block towards us. So 767 00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:20,400 Speaker 2: as I looked, that guy that just said that to 768 00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:22,239 Speaker 2: me had his briefcase and he was hauling it down 769 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:24,040 Speaker 2: the street, he took off. You I think he realized 770 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,600 Speaker 2: that it was no subway. So I got up and 771 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:28,160 Speaker 2: I didn't know what to do. I just ran. So 772 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:30,680 Speaker 2: I ran north. I saw the guy worked within the 773 00:34:30,680 --> 00:34:33,240 Speaker 2: crowd and I lost them. And I'm a pretty quick runner. 774 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:35,759 Speaker 2: I'm athletic. I was moving. I had my dress shoes on, 775 00:34:35,840 --> 00:34:38,759 Speaker 2: but I was moving, you know. And like I said, 776 00:34:38,760 --> 00:34:40,480 Speaker 2: I had my polo shirt on. I was ready to go. 777 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:43,760 Speaker 2: So I ran uptown and all of a sudden, nothing 778 00:34:43,800 --> 00:34:46,480 Speaker 2: happened behind me. It was quiet. I saw the smoke 779 00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:48,160 Speaker 2: in the debris, but it was in the distance, and 780 00:34:48,239 --> 00:34:50,719 Speaker 2: it was like a wall, like if you look downtown, 781 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,160 Speaker 2: you could see a wall of smoke and just people 782 00:34:53,880 --> 00:34:56,800 Speaker 2: from that direction walking towards you. I'm not talking people 783 00:34:56,800 --> 00:34:59,360 Speaker 2: a few, I'm talking in the thousands walking in my direction. 784 00:35:00,360 --> 00:35:03,000 Speaker 2: So the cop and me said, John, don't go in 785 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:06,000 Speaker 2: the subway. Stay where you're at. And there was a 786 00:35:06,000 --> 00:35:08,160 Speaker 2: woman standing next to me, and I was just talking 787 00:35:08,200 --> 00:35:09,839 Speaker 2: to her briefly and I said, I don't know what's 788 00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:11,560 Speaker 2: going on today, but you are never going to forget 789 00:35:11,560 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 2: to today. She goes, no, I'm not and just walked away. 790 00:35:14,960 --> 00:35:18,480 Speaker 2: And then something told me to go back. So I 791 00:35:18,520 --> 00:35:20,880 Speaker 2: saw these crowds of people in the thousands walking towards me, 792 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:25,040 Speaker 2: and I walked downtown while everybody was walking uptown. So 793 00:35:25,680 --> 00:35:27,040 Speaker 2: I said, I have to get back to my building. 794 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,200 Speaker 2: I wasn't that far. I was walking distance, couldn't see it. 795 00:35:29,239 --> 00:35:31,799 Speaker 2: I ran pretty far. So as I was walking, people 796 00:35:31,840 --> 00:35:34,160 Speaker 2: started letting me through. I guess they just knew I 797 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:35,640 Speaker 2: had to get through. Maybe they knew it I was 798 00:35:35,680 --> 00:35:38,319 Speaker 2: a cop. I don't know. So people were partying and 799 00:35:38,360 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 2: I was walking, and I was walking through the crowd, 800 00:35:40,080 --> 00:35:41,600 Speaker 2: and I saw a woman in my building. She was 801 00:35:41,640 --> 00:35:44,520 Speaker 2: a civilian, and I said, what's going on with police plaza? 802 00:35:44,600 --> 00:35:46,520 Speaker 2: She goes, no, everybody just ran out of a building. There's 803 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 2: nobody in there. So I said okay, and I kept walking. So, 804 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:50,600 Speaker 2: like I said, there was a partying in the crowd, 805 00:35:50,600 --> 00:35:52,560 Speaker 2: and I saw that Federal courthouse. When I got to 806 00:35:52,560 --> 00:35:56,360 Speaker 2: the Federal Courthouse, I heard screaming and yelling, actually not screaming, 807 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:59,320 Speaker 2: and there was a gentleman trying to get back in 808 00:35:59,360 --> 00:36:01,960 Speaker 2: the building, and the court offices were in full uniform. 809 00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,520 Speaker 2: I watched them physically throw him down the stairs. He 810 00:36:04,640 --> 00:36:06,799 Speaker 2: rolled down the cement stairs right in front of me, 811 00:36:07,480 --> 00:36:10,200 Speaker 2: landed on the floor in front of me, and he 812 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:12,839 Speaker 2: just brushed himself off and wan one direction. And then 813 00:36:13,239 --> 00:36:15,000 Speaker 2: the court offices ran towards me and they said, where 814 00:36:15,040 --> 00:36:16,799 Speaker 2: you going. You can't go downtown. So I took out 815 00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:20,120 Speaker 2: my identification under my shirt showed it to him. They're like, okay, 816 00:36:20,160 --> 00:36:21,640 Speaker 2: they said, why don't you go behind the building? So 817 00:36:21,640 --> 00:36:23,439 Speaker 2: I said, all right, So I actually took a short cut, 818 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:25,759 Speaker 2: went behind the building, and I went back to one 819 00:36:25,800 --> 00:36:28,080 Speaker 2: police plaza. But I didn't get directly back to one 820 00:36:28,080 --> 00:36:30,479 Speaker 2: police police plaza. I'm not exactly sure how it ended 821 00:36:30,520 --> 00:36:32,840 Speaker 2: up here, but the smoke was to the right of me, 822 00:36:32,840 --> 00:36:34,880 Speaker 2: and like I said earlier, it was not smoke. This 823 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:37,280 Speaker 2: was a giant black curtain. 824 00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:41,439 Speaker 1: And when you were running from that, because we're seen 825 00:36:41,520 --> 00:36:44,400 Speaker 1: the images and all that you were running with, you 826 00:36:44,440 --> 00:36:46,319 Speaker 1: did not know what was coming. You were running for 827 00:36:46,360 --> 00:36:50,520 Speaker 1: your life literally on when that big curtain of smoke 828 00:36:50,560 --> 00:36:51,960 Speaker 1: and debris was rolling down. 829 00:36:51,760 --> 00:36:53,839 Speaker 2: The streets correct and the fun for me didn't even 830 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,799 Speaker 2: start yet, because you know, I was there was still 831 00:36:57,840 --> 00:37:00,640 Speaker 2: one tower standing. So I walked down on this street 832 00:37:00,680 --> 00:37:03,719 Speaker 2: and there was New York City pigeons, just dozens of them, 833 00:37:03,760 --> 00:37:05,759 Speaker 2: walking at my feet. It was the strangest thing. I 834 00:37:05,800 --> 00:37:08,440 Speaker 2: can't describe it. I've never heard animals describe it. I 835 00:37:08,480 --> 00:37:11,840 Speaker 2: think the pigeons probably couldn't fly from Lower Manhattan. They 836 00:37:11,880 --> 00:37:13,759 Speaker 2: got hit with the caked and the dust, so they 837 00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:17,440 Speaker 2: came to where they was because the debris was about 838 00:37:17,480 --> 00:37:19,200 Speaker 2: not the debris, the wall of smoke was about a 839 00:37:19,239 --> 00:37:21,239 Speaker 2: block ofitud of me, the right where the Brooklyn Bridge was, 840 00:37:21,360 --> 00:37:23,360 Speaker 2: and I would periodically see people on the bridge and 841 00:37:23,400 --> 00:37:25,520 Speaker 2: then smoke would overtake them. People say so. Then I 842 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 2: walked down one block and it was near a high 843 00:37:27,120 --> 00:37:29,080 Speaker 2: school and there was all these high school kids sitting 844 00:37:29,120 --> 00:37:31,680 Speaker 2: on the floor and I don't know if they just 845 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:34,200 Speaker 2: ran from the scene or they were there already. And 846 00:37:34,280 --> 00:37:36,960 Speaker 2: there was two EMS trucks and the EMS trucks maybe 847 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:39,479 Speaker 2: because the MS trucks people congregated that they were giving 848 00:37:39,480 --> 00:37:42,560 Speaker 2: people oxygen one at a time, and I saw people 849 00:37:42,560 --> 00:37:44,319 Speaker 2: with the oxygen and I was standing there and I 850 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:46,040 Speaker 2: didn't know what to do. I was looking at the 851 00:37:46,080 --> 00:37:47,839 Speaker 2: EMS people and looking to the right, and I kept 852 00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:49,799 Speaker 2: looking at the Brooklyn Bridge. I was very focused on 853 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:52,279 Speaker 2: the bridge. And a woman walks up to me and 854 00:37:52,280 --> 00:37:55,279 Speaker 2: she said, I'm pregnant. I do not want to have 855 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:57,840 Speaker 2: my child here. So I looked at her and I 856 00:37:57,880 --> 00:37:59,960 Speaker 2: didn't know what. I had nothing to tell this woman. 857 00:38:00,120 --> 00:38:02,400 Speaker 2: I just like, listen to EMS is here, speak to them. 858 00:38:02,640 --> 00:38:04,799 Speaker 1: I think, and if I just interrupt you there for 859 00:38:04,840 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: a sec This is what came through when I read 860 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:10,600 Speaker 1: the piece that you wrote about it got as cops, 861 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:14,360 Speaker 1: chaos is the norm. Yeah, you go to a chaotic situation, 862 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,600 Speaker 1: you assess the situation, you get it under control. This 863 00:38:17,640 --> 00:38:20,920 Speaker 1: is on the magnitude that no one has experienced. And 864 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:24,439 Speaker 1: I just found it fascinating that half of you would 865 00:38:24,440 --> 00:38:26,359 Speaker 1: be going, well, i'm a cop, I've got to take 866 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:28,920 Speaker 1: some control or help, and the other part to be 867 00:38:28,960 --> 00:38:31,239 Speaker 1: going I don't know what's going on, like it just 868 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:33,880 Speaker 1: what was going through your mind at the time, Like 869 00:38:33,920 --> 00:38:37,200 Speaker 1: I would imagine you were struggling with all sorts of thoughts. 870 00:38:38,000 --> 00:38:41,520 Speaker 2: Well, interestingly enough, I didn't have time to think because 871 00:38:41,560 --> 00:38:43,840 Speaker 2: all you focused on what was going on at the moment, 872 00:38:43,960 --> 00:38:46,440 Speaker 2: I didn't have time to I can't just one hundred 873 00:38:46,440 --> 00:38:47,960 Speaker 2: percent describe it. I don't even know if anybody else 874 00:38:47,960 --> 00:38:50,080 Speaker 2: can think about it. You don't have time to say 875 00:38:50,360 --> 00:38:51,440 Speaker 2: when I can do this? What am I gonna do 876 00:38:51,480 --> 00:38:53,200 Speaker 2: with this? When that you think about at that moment, 877 00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:57,040 Speaker 2: And while I was there, I didn't remember that. Okay, John, 878 00:38:57,280 --> 00:38:59,480 Speaker 2: get yourself back to one, please plasic or figure it out. 879 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:01,399 Speaker 2: You can't stay here with this pregnant woman. You can't 880 00:39:01,400 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 2: stay here with the people taking oxygen, I could breathe fine. 881 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:07,319 Speaker 2: So when I looked at the Brooklyn Bridge, something was 882 00:39:07,360 --> 00:39:10,520 Speaker 2: telling me to just walk the bridge, go home, just leave, 883 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:13,160 Speaker 2: and the cop in me was like, no, you can't 884 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 2: do this. I could describe. The poll to that bridge 885 00:39:15,960 --> 00:39:21,080 Speaker 2: was immense. It's like something was telling me go, go go, 886 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:23,640 Speaker 2: and something was telling me no. But that poll was 887 00:39:23,719 --> 00:39:26,359 Speaker 2: unbelievably strong, and I knew deep downside I wasn't going 888 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:27,960 Speaker 2: to do it, couldn't do it. But man, I will 889 00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:29,759 Speaker 2: say it. I wanted to get on that bridge and 890 00:39:29,800 --> 00:39:32,879 Speaker 2: just walk with that crowd. And then I started walking 891 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:35,839 Speaker 2: back towards one police plaza and one police plaza. It's 892 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:38,440 Speaker 2: called the plaza because it has a big opened For Manhattan, 893 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:40,239 Speaker 2: this is considered big. It's a big open area. It's 894 00:39:40,280 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 2: cement benches and then the building is a Gothic old building, 895 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:46,279 Speaker 2: you know, built in the seventies at the end. So 896 00:39:46,640 --> 00:39:48,840 Speaker 2: I walked there and all I saw was one police 897 00:39:48,880 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 2: recruit in a gray uniform. I didn't see anybody else, 898 00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:53,680 Speaker 2: I know, I didn't see any of my co workers. 899 00:39:53,960 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 2: I walked towards the recruit. As I was walking towards him, 900 00:39:56,160 --> 00:39:58,799 Speaker 2: he kept yelling sir, sir, sir. I said, stop sarring me, 901 00:39:58,920 --> 00:40:01,560 Speaker 2: stop sirring me. I'm just I'm walking towards you. So 902 00:40:01,640 --> 00:40:05,359 Speaker 2: I walked towards him. The smoke was behind him, and 903 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:08,080 Speaker 2: I don't even know what I was going to say 904 00:40:08,080 --> 00:40:10,239 Speaker 2: to him. He goes, sir, I have a mask for you. 905 00:40:10,320 --> 00:40:13,040 Speaker 2: So he handed me like a paper spackle mask. So 906 00:40:13,719 --> 00:40:17,440 Speaker 2: I picked it up and I heard this very strange sound. 907 00:40:17,480 --> 00:40:19,920 Speaker 2: I can't describe it. Me and him looked over. I 908 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:23,040 Speaker 2: looked over my right and I saw the one tower 909 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:27,560 Speaker 2: demonstrating it turned, I believed, to the left, and it 910 00:40:27,560 --> 00:40:29,360 Speaker 2: looked like it might possibly even broke in the middle. 911 00:40:29,560 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 2: And then it came straight down onto itself. Now, when 912 00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:36,520 Speaker 2: it came down onto itself, it fell into the actual building, 913 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:41,719 Speaker 2: So the top fell into the bottom, and instantly it 914 00:40:41,760 --> 00:40:44,040 Speaker 2: was like the hands of time stood still. For me, 915 00:40:44,080 --> 00:40:47,759 Speaker 2: I was just staring, like, what is just happening here? 916 00:40:47,760 --> 00:40:50,840 Speaker 2: I can't believe this. It made this unbelievable rumbling sounds. 917 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:55,000 Speaker 2: And then when it fell straight down, the smoke and debris, 918 00:40:55,080 --> 00:40:58,520 Speaker 2: which was even thicker now shot straight up and went 919 00:40:58,680 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 2: out in my direction. Annihilly did to go in my direction. 920 00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:03,600 Speaker 2: I was watching it go into the side streets as 921 00:41:03,600 --> 00:41:07,560 Speaker 2: it was coming up the block. So I turned around 922 00:41:07,680 --> 00:41:09,480 Speaker 2: and I had that mask in my hands and even 923 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:11,200 Speaker 2: had a chance to put it on, and I ran 924 00:41:12,480 --> 00:41:16,279 Speaker 2: straight more towards the back of the building, and I 925 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:19,320 Speaker 2: ran a few blocks, and I could hear the sounds 926 00:41:19,320 --> 00:41:22,319 Speaker 2: behind me. It was like a rumbling, like a giant wave. 927 00:41:22,360 --> 00:41:26,200 Speaker 2: I would describe it, and strangely enough, I could smell it. 928 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:30,239 Speaker 2: I smelt probably from the first collapse. I could smell concrete. 929 00:41:30,600 --> 00:41:32,680 Speaker 2: I did construction. I know what concrete smells like. It 930 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:38,320 Speaker 2: was concrete and burnt wires. So I had that eerie sounds, 931 00:41:38,719 --> 00:41:41,400 Speaker 2: that creepy smell, and it was coming behind me, and 932 00:41:41,400 --> 00:41:43,239 Speaker 2: I ran, and I thought I was gonna be overtaken. 933 00:41:44,360 --> 00:41:47,040 Speaker 2: I wasn't. It was coming up towards me, but I 934 00:41:47,080 --> 00:41:49,200 Speaker 2: guess the winds took it in a different direction. I 935 00:41:49,280 --> 00:41:52,080 Speaker 2: was like right at the line, almost where it was 936 00:41:52,080 --> 00:41:55,280 Speaker 2: in the air, but nobody was choking where I was standing, 937 00:41:55,280 --> 00:41:56,719 Speaker 2: and you could see so like I said, it went 938 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 2: to the right and left, and I ran to a 939 00:41:59,440 --> 00:42:02,440 Speaker 2: parked car, and I was so angry at what just happened. 940 00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:04,200 Speaker 2: And I didn't even understand it yet. I banged my 941 00:42:04,239 --> 00:42:06,960 Speaker 2: fists on the on the trunk of the car and 942 00:42:07,000 --> 00:42:09,200 Speaker 2: I said, the building just went down. I was yelling 943 00:42:09,200 --> 00:42:10,720 Speaker 2: at nobody. It was nobody, and I was just yelling 944 00:42:10,719 --> 00:42:13,520 Speaker 2: to myself. And I turned around and I saw the 945 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:16,640 Speaker 2: Brooklyn Bridge again and it was almost covered. But every 946 00:42:16,640 --> 00:42:18,440 Speaker 2: once in a while I could see a figure through 947 00:42:18,440 --> 00:42:21,400 Speaker 2: the bridge of somebody walking, and I thought about it. 948 00:42:21,440 --> 00:42:23,440 Speaker 2: Do you leave? Do you go? Nobody'll know? You know. 949 00:42:23,480 --> 00:42:24,759 Speaker 2: I used to read books when I was a kid 950 00:42:24,800 --> 00:42:26,439 Speaker 2: about guys that went off the war and they would 951 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:28,640 Speaker 2: try to in the trenches. All they wanted to do 952 00:42:28,760 --> 00:42:30,279 Speaker 2: was just go to the go to the rear, get 953 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:32,279 Speaker 2: out of town. And I used to read these books 954 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:33,759 Speaker 2: that go, man, I can imagine what it's like to 955 00:42:33,800 --> 00:42:36,399 Speaker 2: be you know, few steps of safety, but a few 956 00:42:36,400 --> 00:42:39,120 Speaker 2: steps is danger. And I thought about that. I said, 957 00:42:39,200 --> 00:42:41,239 Speaker 2: I can't leave. I got to go do something, but 958 00:42:41,280 --> 00:42:43,000 Speaker 2: I had no plan in though to do so. 959 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:45,839 Speaker 1: I can understand what you're sign there, and that's that's 960 00:42:46,160 --> 00:42:48,560 Speaker 1: you sign up to join join the cops. Yeah, you're 961 00:42:48,600 --> 00:42:53,040 Speaker 1: not conscripts. You volunteer, but there's a responsibility there, and 962 00:42:53,520 --> 00:42:56,759 Speaker 1: you got to own that responsibility. In the situation like that, 963 00:42:57,200 --> 00:42:59,279 Speaker 1: And I dare say, and I'm mainly surmising here, they 964 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:02,000 Speaker 1: would have been that took the option and went home. 965 00:43:02,040 --> 00:43:04,640 Speaker 1: But I don't think you're doing your job if you 966 00:43:05,400 --> 00:43:08,520 Speaker 1: disappear in the situation like that, it's chaos. But hey, 967 00:43:08,640 --> 00:43:12,400 Speaker 1: that's what you signed up for. Yeah, definitely. 968 00:43:12,440 --> 00:43:14,440 Speaker 2: I mean I signed up for police work, but nothing 969 00:43:14,480 --> 00:43:15,960 Speaker 2: to that magnitude. I didn't think I was going to 970 00:43:15,960 --> 00:43:18,520 Speaker 2: watch the war waged on America, but that's what I 971 00:43:18,560 --> 00:43:20,200 Speaker 2: was doing that day. Apparently that's where I was. 972 00:43:21,040 --> 00:43:24,000 Speaker 1: How far away from the when the second tower collapse? 973 00:43:24,040 --> 00:43:26,239 Speaker 1: How physically how far away were you from it? 974 00:43:26,600 --> 00:43:28,560 Speaker 2: Well, in the second tower collapse, that was the closest 975 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:30,439 Speaker 2: I was. And I walked towards that recruit. I walked 976 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:33,279 Speaker 2: past my building, towards the location. I say, half mile 977 00:43:33,360 --> 00:43:35,520 Speaker 2: maybe it's zero point six point eight kilometers. 978 00:43:36,239 --> 00:43:39,319 Speaker 1: Jesus close, isn't it. You see it, you feel it, 979 00:43:39,360 --> 00:43:41,280 Speaker 1: you hear it, you smell it all your senses. 980 00:43:41,520 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 2: Yeah. 981 00:43:41,960 --> 00:43:46,040 Speaker 1: So, okay, well I'm saw the shell shocked. You have 982 00:43:46,120 --> 00:43:48,760 Speaker 1: the magnitude of what you're talking about, but please continue 983 00:43:48,800 --> 00:43:50,600 Speaker 1: on it. Take us through what happened next. 984 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:53,200 Speaker 2: Yes, you brought up an interesting point. You know, I 985 00:43:53,320 --> 00:43:55,759 Speaker 2: was interestingly and this is probably why I wrote it. 986 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:57,280 Speaker 2: You know, there were people who were in the towers, 987 00:43:57,320 --> 00:43:59,880 Speaker 2: who were right there, and they have unbelievable stories. But 988 00:44:00,440 --> 00:44:03,479 Speaker 2: I witnessed it like right. It's almost like I wasn't 989 00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:05,279 Speaker 2: in the front row seat. I wasn't in the second 990 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:07,000 Speaker 2: road seat, but I was in the third row where 991 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:08,680 Speaker 2: you get a better view than the first and second. 992 00:44:08,719 --> 00:44:11,200 Speaker 2: That's how close I was where I saw it like panoramic. 993 00:44:11,239 --> 00:44:13,680 Speaker 2: I guess that's the best description i'd give it. So 994 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:16,520 Speaker 2: I was right there and it was no television, there 995 00:44:16,600 --> 00:44:18,040 Speaker 2: was nothing. I didn't know what was going on. So 996 00:44:18,840 --> 00:44:21,840 Speaker 2: as I walked up a little bit, I started walking. 997 00:44:21,880 --> 00:44:24,200 Speaker 2: Now I realized that, you know, at least that debris 998 00:44:24,239 --> 00:44:25,520 Speaker 2: wasn't going to make it my way. But as I 999 00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:29,080 Speaker 2: was walking, I started gauging the buildings around me, because 1000 00:44:29,120 --> 00:44:31,120 Speaker 2: there are some buildings there not that big. I mean, 1001 00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:32,719 Speaker 2: all right, I'm gonna say not that big. I'm a 1002 00:44:32,760 --> 00:44:35,400 Speaker 2: New Yorker, so they weren't skyscrapers. Put it that way. 1003 00:44:35,640 --> 00:44:38,760 Speaker 2: So I'm gauging the buildings. I'm saying, if a plane 1004 00:44:38,840 --> 00:44:41,160 Speaker 2: hits that, will it hit me? If a plane hits 1005 00:44:41,200 --> 00:44:43,000 Speaker 2: this building. So I'm walking kind of in the middle, 1006 00:44:43,480 --> 00:44:45,400 Speaker 2: and I was like, how am I thinking like this? 1007 00:44:45,760 --> 00:44:47,360 Speaker 2: How did I go to work today? I think worrying 1008 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:50,759 Speaker 2: about buildings falling on me. And I was concerned that 1009 00:44:50,880 --> 00:44:53,239 Speaker 2: if something else happened, because I truly believe something the 1010 00:44:53,360 --> 00:44:55,520 Speaker 2: next wave was gonna come. 1011 00:44:55,840 --> 00:44:59,080 Speaker 1: Well you're thinking that that time, John, Sorry for just 1012 00:44:59,160 --> 00:45:02,880 Speaker 1: interrupt just to qu verify. You're not sure what's happening, 1013 00:45:02,920 --> 00:45:06,520 Speaker 1: but clearly this is a deliberate attack, and yeah, what's 1014 00:45:06,560 --> 00:45:08,160 Speaker 1: the next thing that's going to come? Is an army 1015 00:45:08,200 --> 00:45:10,319 Speaker 1: goan to invide? Like you would not know what was 1016 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:12,840 Speaker 1: going on at this point in time. It's clearly not 1017 00:45:12,920 --> 00:45:13,480 Speaker 1: an accident. 1018 00:45:13,600 --> 00:45:15,560 Speaker 2: Sure, I was clearly that accident. You know, later on 1019 00:45:15,600 --> 00:45:17,840 Speaker 2: I would hear the rumor mill was just it was 1020 00:45:17,920 --> 00:45:20,040 Speaker 2: comical the rumors that were coming through, and I knew 1021 00:45:20,080 --> 00:45:22,040 Speaker 2: that of them were true. I did think something was 1022 00:45:22,120 --> 00:45:24,560 Speaker 2: kind of come from the sky. I truly believe that 1023 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:28,080 Speaker 2: wherever the attack was was from above. So I saw 1024 00:45:28,719 --> 00:45:30,920 Speaker 2: a couple of guys that you know, a cops will 1025 00:45:30,920 --> 00:45:32,920 Speaker 2: tell you they weren't in uniform. They just knew they 1026 00:45:32,960 --> 00:45:34,759 Speaker 2: were cops. If I could tell from you know the 1027 00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:36,600 Speaker 2: distance I was. So I walked over to them, and 1028 00:45:36,640 --> 00:45:38,000 Speaker 2: I didn't know these guys. I just knew they were 1029 00:45:38,040 --> 00:45:41,040 Speaker 2: police officers, and I'm assumed from my building. So I said, 1030 00:45:41,040 --> 00:45:42,440 Speaker 2: what's going on? And they all looked at me like, 1031 00:45:42,520 --> 00:45:44,480 Speaker 2: we don't know, nobody's here. We don't know what to do. 1032 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:48,600 Speaker 2: So as I was standing there, I started making some 1033 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:51,200 Speaker 2: brief conversation with the guy next to me, and he just, 1034 00:45:51,280 --> 00:45:52,759 Speaker 2: you know, he was just one of those people at 1035 00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:54,480 Speaker 2: the moment where I couldn't talk. I guess he was 1036 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:56,759 Speaker 2: just a little more shell shocked than I was, and 1037 00:45:56,800 --> 00:45:59,520 Speaker 2: he was just staring blankly, and I didn't say anything else. 1038 00:45:59,560 --> 00:46:02,080 Speaker 2: I juste he he doesn't want to talk or he can't. 1039 00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:05,239 Speaker 2: But he was a cop like me. So I thought 1040 00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:07,920 Speaker 2: to myself, my gosh, John, you called your wife and 1041 00:46:07,960 --> 00:46:10,080 Speaker 2: you told her you would go into the building. So 1042 00:46:10,440 --> 00:46:12,640 Speaker 2: I said, okay, So now I got I want to 1043 00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:15,439 Speaker 2: go home. Now, I really want to go home. Now 1044 00:46:15,440 --> 00:46:16,880 Speaker 2: I got to get in touch with my wife and 1045 00:46:16,920 --> 00:46:19,080 Speaker 2: tell her that I'm not in the building. It's okay. 1046 00:46:19,640 --> 00:46:22,359 Speaker 2: So sure enough, the payphones were down, the lights were down, 1047 00:46:22,440 --> 00:46:24,040 Speaker 2: all the lines were down. I couldn't get on the 1048 00:46:24,080 --> 00:46:26,759 Speaker 2: phone because there was other payphones there. So I heard 1049 00:46:26,760 --> 00:46:29,279 Speaker 2: my name called from up the block and it was 1050 00:46:29,320 --> 00:46:31,840 Speaker 2: the lieutenant that had asked me about the reports earlier 1051 00:46:31,880 --> 00:46:34,000 Speaker 2: in the morning, and he said, John, we're really glad 1052 00:46:34,040 --> 00:46:37,160 Speaker 2: you're okay, because you're the only one we were concerned 1053 00:46:37,520 --> 00:46:39,759 Speaker 2: where you were. Because I ran into the other guy 1054 00:46:39,840 --> 00:46:41,560 Speaker 2: that I ran with, he had already made it back 1055 00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:44,040 Speaker 2: before I did, so I said, what are we doing? 1056 00:46:44,080 --> 00:46:46,319 Speaker 2: He goes, nobody knows. He goes, just stay here. Let's 1057 00:46:46,320 --> 00:46:48,439 Speaker 2: make a perimeter and we make sure no non law 1058 00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:52,200 Speaker 2: enforcement could come into the area. And we put up 1059 00:46:52,239 --> 00:46:56,160 Speaker 2: some police barriers that we could find. And you know, 1060 00:46:56,280 --> 00:46:59,200 Speaker 2: the playbook went out the window. There was no rules, 1061 00:46:59,239 --> 00:47:01,040 Speaker 2: there was no this is what you need to do, 1062 00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:03,160 Speaker 2: this is what you don't need to do. And as 1063 00:47:03,160 --> 00:47:06,680 Speaker 2: I was standing there, I was watching and periodically people 1064 00:47:06,680 --> 00:47:09,520 Speaker 2: would run through that wall of smoke into our direction. 1065 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:11,719 Speaker 2: And I watched a woman running and she had the 1066 00:47:11,760 --> 00:47:14,440 Speaker 2: high heels on and they were clanking and she was holling. 1067 00:47:14,480 --> 00:47:17,200 Speaker 2: This woman was running full force towards me, and sure 1068 00:47:17,320 --> 00:47:20,359 Speaker 2: enough I watched her heel break and the women face 1069 00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:24,000 Speaker 2: smacked right on the concrete. So I ran over to her, 1070 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:26,600 Speaker 2: and ironically, two other women saw this, two other female 1071 00:47:26,600 --> 00:47:29,520 Speaker 2: police officers, so more cops were congregating, and they picked 1072 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:32,800 Speaker 2: her up and they started running with her back away 1073 00:47:32,800 --> 00:47:34,919 Speaker 2: from where we were. She ran, and then I watched 1074 00:47:34,920 --> 00:47:36,359 Speaker 2: she ran on her own. So there was a lot 1075 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:40,799 Speaker 2: of people coming together at that tragic moment. And I 1076 00:47:40,840 --> 00:47:42,680 Speaker 2: stayed where I was because I didn't know where to go. 1077 00:47:42,719 --> 00:47:44,200 Speaker 2: I knew I wasn't going to go home, but I 1078 00:47:44,560 --> 00:47:46,000 Speaker 2: at least knew that I was going to stay where 1079 00:47:46,000 --> 00:47:48,920 Speaker 2: my post was for that was original, and we were 1080 00:47:48,960 --> 00:47:52,040 Speaker 2: going to basically ended up. I found this out later. 1081 00:47:52,080 --> 00:47:54,720 Speaker 2: We just decided to we were letting the emergency vehicles. 1082 00:47:54,760 --> 00:47:58,080 Speaker 2: Because the emergency vehicles showed up very quickly. I watched 1083 00:47:58,960 --> 00:48:02,440 Speaker 2: empty New York City buses with people jumping in on 1084 00:48:02,640 --> 00:48:04,839 Speaker 2: some type of rescue workers I know, I'm sure who. 1085 00:48:04,840 --> 00:48:07,560 Speaker 2: And I saw empty busses coming through. I saw a 1086 00:48:07,600 --> 00:48:09,400 Speaker 2: carp on the back of a Holly Davidson where he 1087 00:48:09,480 --> 00:48:13,799 Speaker 2: just hitched a ride. I saw people off duty. I 1088 00:48:13,840 --> 00:48:16,799 Speaker 2: saw family members of people that had been in Lower 1089 00:48:16,880 --> 00:48:19,840 Speaker 2: Manhattan coming very quickly down towards Low Manhattan. So we 1090 00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:21,440 Speaker 2: had a courten off that area because if we were 1091 00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:23,520 Speaker 2: going to let the emergency vehicles through. We had to 1092 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:25,719 Speaker 2: do it orderly because there was a big road there, 1093 00:48:25,920 --> 00:48:28,000 Speaker 2: so we knew we were going to have some type 1094 00:48:28,040 --> 00:48:31,000 Speaker 2: of direction within sending people downtown. 1095 00:48:33,560 --> 00:48:36,160 Speaker 1: Hi guys, just a quick interruption to let you know 1096 00:48:36,200 --> 00:48:39,320 Speaker 1: about the new podcast from the team behind I Catch Killers. 1097 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:42,840 Speaker 1: It's called The Mushroom Cook. It's about a case that 1098 00:48:42,920 --> 00:48:45,960 Speaker 1: made headlines around the world last year, the prosecution of 1099 00:48:46,000 --> 00:48:49,360 Speaker 1: a Victorian woman called Aaron Patterson over a family lunch 1100 00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:52,680 Speaker 1: that left three people dead. The podcast goes deep into 1101 00:48:52,719 --> 00:48:55,760 Speaker 1: what we know about those alleged murders in the coming months. 1102 00:48:55,800 --> 00:48:58,120 Speaker 1: It will also follow the twists and turns as erin 1103 00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:02,160 Speaker 1: who's denied any wrongdoing faces trial. If you subscribe to 1104 00:49:02,239 --> 00:49:05,480 Speaker 1: crimex plus, you'll get access to The Mushroom Cook early 1105 00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:08,960 Speaker 1: and add through. Just search for The Mushroom Cook on 1106 00:49:09,080 --> 00:49:13,879 Speaker 1: crimex Plus on Apple Podcasts. Seeing those towers come down, 1107 00:49:14,400 --> 00:49:17,280 Speaker 1: you would have to thought and seeing the people jumping 1108 00:49:17,320 --> 00:49:20,840 Speaker 1: and falling out of the buildings. Did you have time 1109 00:49:20,880 --> 00:49:23,799 Speaker 1: in that chaos to even take in the magnitude of 1110 00:49:24,040 --> 00:49:26,560 Speaker 1: how many lives were lost? Was that going through your 1111 00:49:26,560 --> 00:49:29,239 Speaker 1: mind or was everything just rolling through so quickly. You 1112 00:49:29,280 --> 00:49:31,440 Speaker 1: were just taking it one step of the time. 1113 00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:33,000 Speaker 2: I was taking it one step at a time. But 1114 00:49:33,719 --> 00:49:36,080 Speaker 2: being that I didn't call I had called my wife 1115 00:49:36,120 --> 00:49:37,440 Speaker 2: and told her I was going to the building that 1116 00:49:37,640 --> 00:49:39,719 Speaker 2: was consuming my thoughts at that moment. I guess you 1117 00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:43,000 Speaker 2: have to focus on something. With the people jumping from 1118 00:49:43,000 --> 00:49:45,160 Speaker 2: the towers, that didn't start to really get into my 1119 00:49:45,239 --> 00:49:49,399 Speaker 2: memory until days later. And one person I work with, 1120 00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:53,000 Speaker 2: I didn't realize the death magnitude, and because I remembered 1121 00:49:53,000 --> 00:49:56,239 Speaker 2: that as that the wall of smoke would clear, the 1122 00:49:56,320 --> 00:49:58,960 Speaker 2: sun was so bright, so it was an eerie black 1123 00:49:59,320 --> 00:50:02,640 Speaker 2: cloud that would cover periodically cover the sun, and it 1124 00:50:02,640 --> 00:50:04,319 Speaker 2: would get very dark, and they would get very bright 1125 00:50:04,360 --> 00:50:06,360 Speaker 2: and get very dark and get very bright. It was odd. 1126 00:50:06,400 --> 00:50:08,520 Speaker 2: And then someone I worked with walked up to me 1127 00:50:08,719 --> 00:50:11,400 Speaker 2: and I don't I think he was listening to his walkman, 1128 00:50:11,480 --> 00:50:13,759 Speaker 2: and he said, the fire department just lost a lot 1129 00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:16,560 Speaker 2: of people. So that was the first time I realized 1130 00:50:16,600 --> 00:50:19,200 Speaker 2: that there are people that got up to work just 1131 00:50:19,239 --> 00:50:21,640 Speaker 2: like I did. They got dressed, and they are not 1132 00:50:21,719 --> 00:50:23,960 Speaker 2: coming home to see their families. Yeah. 1133 00:50:24,040 --> 00:50:28,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's heavy, isn't it. Did your wife did you 1134 00:50:28,200 --> 00:50:31,560 Speaker 1: get to how did you get to make contact with 1135 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:33,600 Speaker 1: your wife. I know there was a couple of attempts, 1136 00:50:33,680 --> 00:50:37,080 Speaker 1: but she must have been going through assuming she would 1137 00:50:37,080 --> 00:50:39,759 Speaker 1: have missed you. She must have been going through hell 1138 00:50:40,719 --> 00:50:43,000 Speaker 1: wondering whether you did go to the tower on what's happened. 1139 00:50:43,080 --> 00:50:44,520 Speaker 1: It must have been a hard time for her. 1140 00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:47,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, we talk about it now in the family. It's 1141 00:50:47,280 --> 00:50:49,000 Speaker 2: kind of like the ongoing joke that I made that 1142 00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:50,960 Speaker 2: phone call and didn't call her back for a while, 1143 00:50:51,160 --> 00:50:53,319 Speaker 2: it's still the ongoing joke, you know. I guess when 1144 00:50:53,320 --> 00:50:55,080 Speaker 2: you're married to a cop, you have to laugh about things, 1145 00:50:55,120 --> 00:50:57,719 Speaker 2: and even to that magnitude, it's still talked about. And 1146 00:50:58,080 --> 00:50:59,640 Speaker 2: that's why I talk about it on the podcast, because 1147 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:02,160 Speaker 2: it is it's something I would do. Is I did 1148 00:51:02,280 --> 00:51:03,839 Speaker 2: not saying I forgot to call her back, but it 1149 00:51:03,920 --> 00:51:06,320 Speaker 2: was I couldn't get to a payphone because every payphone 1150 00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:09,279 Speaker 2: I got to wasn't working. So I would tell my coworkers, 1151 00:51:09,320 --> 00:51:11,799 Speaker 2: I would say, I have to call my wife. So 1152 00:51:12,200 --> 00:51:14,440 Speaker 2: I went a little further uptown and I finally got 1153 00:51:14,480 --> 00:51:16,880 Speaker 2: to a phone and I called her office and it 1154 00:51:16,920 --> 00:51:19,359 Speaker 2: went to a voicemail, and so, yeah, I could leave 1155 00:51:19,360 --> 00:51:20,920 Speaker 2: a voicemail, but she I don't know if she's ever 1156 00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:24,840 Speaker 2: going back to work. So I called my house and 1157 00:51:25,000 --> 00:51:29,560 Speaker 2: I left a voicemail. Okay, I got somewhere. I called 1158 00:51:29,560 --> 00:51:31,440 Speaker 2: my father. He was home at the time, and I 1159 00:51:31,480 --> 00:51:33,640 Speaker 2: got him on the phone and I told him so. 1160 00:51:33,920 --> 00:51:36,239 Speaker 2: But still, how long would it be before she got 1161 00:51:36,239 --> 00:51:38,680 Speaker 2: this message? So I didn't know this at the time. 1162 00:51:38,920 --> 00:51:42,640 Speaker 2: She fled her building with her coworkers and they ended 1163 00:51:42,719 --> 00:51:44,920 Speaker 2: up running to the fifty ninth Street bridge and they 1164 00:51:45,000 --> 00:51:47,960 Speaker 2: ran over the bridge there. So she was more uptown, 1165 00:51:48,040 --> 00:51:51,239 Speaker 2: but she had to make her own exit out of 1166 00:51:51,280 --> 00:51:53,759 Speaker 2: the city. And she tells me now that you know, 1167 00:51:53,800 --> 00:51:56,120 Speaker 2: she kept telling everybody she works with. My husband went 1168 00:51:56,120 --> 00:51:58,040 Speaker 2: to the towers. My husband went to the towers, and 1169 00:51:58,040 --> 00:51:59,520 Speaker 2: I'm sure there was a lot of people that you know, 1170 00:51:59,640 --> 00:52:02,000 Speaker 2: had the thoughts. But so it was important to me 1171 00:52:02,040 --> 00:52:02,880 Speaker 2: to get that message to it. 1172 00:52:03,120 --> 00:52:07,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, I can understand that, but the whole magnitude of 1173 00:52:07,400 --> 00:52:09,640 Speaker 1: what happened, it's a city in panic, and we were 1174 00:52:09,640 --> 00:52:11,440 Speaker 1: watching it from here. It was the early hours of 1175 00:52:11,480 --> 00:52:13,879 Speaker 1: the morning. I got up to go to work and 1176 00:52:14,719 --> 00:52:16,680 Speaker 1: put the TV on, or heard it on the radio, 1177 00:52:16,719 --> 00:52:18,920 Speaker 1: put the TV on. And when I first saw it, 1178 00:52:18,960 --> 00:52:20,920 Speaker 1: as a lot of people say, you didn't think it 1179 00:52:20,960 --> 00:52:23,080 Speaker 1: was real. You saw the image of the plane going 1180 00:52:23,120 --> 00:52:27,120 Speaker 1: into the tower. But we had because we had a 1181 00:52:27,160 --> 00:52:30,320 Speaker 1: wider view of what was going on where the information 1182 00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:33,000 Speaker 1: was coming in. You guys on the ground, you would 1183 00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:35,680 Speaker 1: have not known what's coming next. Is this just the 1184 00:52:35,680 --> 00:52:39,439 Speaker 1: first wave of a full on terrorist attack with more 1185 00:52:39,480 --> 00:52:40,200 Speaker 1: waves coming. 1186 00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:44,360 Speaker 2: That's what we started to realize that, you know, something's 1187 00:52:44,400 --> 00:52:47,000 Speaker 2: going on. We more than we could comprehend, whether we're 1188 00:52:47,040 --> 00:52:49,759 Speaker 2: being told or not. And what was happening is we 1189 00:52:49,760 --> 00:52:52,000 Speaker 2: had no real direction. So I was letting the fire 1190 00:52:52,040 --> 00:52:54,400 Speaker 2: trucks through, I was letting the ambulances through. So I 1191 00:52:54,440 --> 00:52:57,120 Speaker 2: started directing traffic, and I was a rookie carp directing traffic. 1192 00:52:57,200 --> 00:52:59,600 Speaker 2: It was nothing I couldn't do. I just didn't die. 1193 00:52:59,640 --> 00:53:01,920 Speaker 2: I would do at this magnitude. So I was in 1194 00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:04,280 Speaker 2: the middle street directing people. They would open the barriers 1195 00:53:04,280 --> 00:53:08,880 Speaker 2: and the emergency vehicles would come through with debris on 1196 00:53:08,920 --> 00:53:12,040 Speaker 2: top of it. So as I'm letting these emergency vehicles 1197 00:53:12,080 --> 00:53:14,239 Speaker 2: pass me, I'm waving them in one direction and I'm 1198 00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:17,160 Speaker 2: watching the debris fly off it. So I'm like, my gosh, 1199 00:53:17,160 --> 00:53:18,799 Speaker 2: I got to get out of the way. So this 1200 00:53:18,880 --> 00:53:20,960 Speaker 2: giant like stuff was coming off the top of the ambulance. 1201 00:53:20,960 --> 00:53:23,399 Speaker 2: Somebody's ambulances were downtown when it happened, and they were 1202 00:53:23,400 --> 00:53:26,839 Speaker 2: getting out with their patients, so I was directing them out, 1203 00:53:26,880 --> 00:53:29,000 Speaker 2: and then I was directing people back in. So it 1204 00:53:29,080 --> 00:53:31,960 Speaker 2: was a dangerous place to even direct traffic. So as 1205 00:53:31,960 --> 00:53:34,080 Speaker 2: of directing the traffic, I hear another sound, and I 1206 00:53:34,120 --> 00:53:37,040 Speaker 2: guess my jitters were up. I heard something above me 1207 00:53:37,200 --> 00:53:40,719 Speaker 2: again and I looked up. It was a fighter jet 1208 00:53:40,920 --> 00:53:43,359 Speaker 2: and we all cheered the fire fighter jets as they 1209 00:53:43,600 --> 00:53:46,680 Speaker 2: flew over the Manhattan. So that's when I really realized 1210 00:53:46,680 --> 00:53:49,440 Speaker 2: that this is something I never expected to ever see. 1211 00:53:49,600 --> 00:53:52,719 Speaker 2: W'ch hearing fighter jets coming over to city was unbelievable. 1212 00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:56,200 Speaker 1: And that was a symbol of where farthing back I 1213 00:53:56,200 --> 00:54:00,759 Speaker 1: would imagine I felt safe saying that the farther the jets. Okay, 1214 00:54:00,560 --> 00:54:05,680 Speaker 1: the whole experience for you just from you did get 1215 00:54:05,680 --> 00:54:08,960 Speaker 1: home that night. You had eventually you got home a 1216 00:54:09,040 --> 00:54:12,560 Speaker 1: couple couple of hours sleep, and you said that you 1217 00:54:12,600 --> 00:54:15,800 Speaker 1: were hearing sounds of sirens in your head when you 1218 00:54:16,360 --> 00:54:20,240 Speaker 1: got home and you were looking out the window wondering 1219 00:54:20,280 --> 00:54:22,920 Speaker 1: where what was going on now? But they were sounds 1220 00:54:22,960 --> 00:54:25,960 Speaker 1: in your head. Correct? Do you want to talk us 1221 00:54:25,960 --> 00:54:26,279 Speaker 1: through that? 1222 00:54:27,000 --> 00:54:29,719 Speaker 2: Yeah? Yeah, I'm glad you read it. It was one 1223 00:54:29,719 --> 00:54:31,160 Speaker 2: of those things you're never going to forget. When I 1224 00:54:31,200 --> 00:54:34,600 Speaker 2: went home, I did eventually contact my wife indirectly through 1225 00:54:34,600 --> 00:54:38,400 Speaker 2: three different people. So it was another family member of 1226 00:54:38,480 --> 00:54:40,080 Speaker 2: mine that I had left a message. I had left 1227 00:54:40,080 --> 00:54:42,120 Speaker 2: a lot of messages for people. He had drove to 1228 00:54:42,160 --> 00:54:44,160 Speaker 2: my house, saw her in front of the house, told 1229 00:54:44,200 --> 00:54:47,360 Speaker 2: her that I was okay. It was not at the towers. 1230 00:54:47,360 --> 00:54:50,000 Speaker 2: I was directing traffic where I was the whole time. 1231 00:54:50,080 --> 00:54:53,040 Speaker 2: So when once that got off my mind, it was 1232 00:54:53,120 --> 00:54:54,719 Speaker 2: a little more. That's when the fear started to go, 1233 00:54:54,880 --> 00:54:56,960 Speaker 2: My gosh, look what just happened. And then and then 1234 00:54:56,960 --> 00:54:58,479 Speaker 2: it was funny is I had no way to get home. 1235 00:54:58,520 --> 00:55:00,200 Speaker 2: So I took the train home on another guy. And 1236 00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:03,160 Speaker 2: I'm riding a subway like a commuter after this madness. 1237 00:55:03,480 --> 00:55:07,680 Speaker 2: And so I get home and my house was empty. 1238 00:55:07,680 --> 00:55:09,640 Speaker 2: But let me tell you, when you get home after 1239 00:55:09,680 --> 00:55:12,080 Speaker 2: an incident like that, home is the best place you 1240 00:55:12,080 --> 00:55:15,359 Speaker 2: can ever be. It's like something you strive for all 1241 00:55:15,440 --> 00:55:18,800 Speaker 2: day long to finally get there. Your home is your castle, 1242 00:55:18,880 --> 00:55:22,040 Speaker 2: it's it's your kingdom. At that moment, so I was 1243 00:55:22,120 --> 00:55:24,360 Speaker 2: just so glad my wife wasn't home. She ended up 1244 00:55:24,360 --> 00:55:26,839 Speaker 2: staying with other family members. So because that's how the 1245 00:55:26,880 --> 00:55:29,439 Speaker 2: city had a very strange vibe going on at that time. 1246 00:55:29,440 --> 00:55:31,320 Speaker 2: When it comes to that stuff, people were very nervous. 1247 00:55:31,840 --> 00:55:34,319 Speaker 2: So I go home and I had to take off 1248 00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:36,880 Speaker 2: that close because it was I wasn't caked in it, 1249 00:55:36,920 --> 00:55:38,400 Speaker 2: but I knew it was in my clothes, which was 1250 00:55:38,400 --> 00:55:40,520 Speaker 2: the debrief in the building, so I knew enough that 1251 00:55:40,520 --> 00:55:42,319 Speaker 2: that stuff was toxic. I knew from the smell of 1252 00:55:42,320 --> 00:55:45,840 Speaker 2: the burnt plastic. So I threw the clothes outside. I 1253 00:55:45,920 --> 00:55:48,080 Speaker 2: just left it there, you know, And I went up 1254 00:55:48,080 --> 00:55:50,719 Speaker 2: to my bathroom and I was hearing sirens like I 1255 00:55:50,760 --> 00:55:53,200 Speaker 2: had heard them, the sirens when I was walking through 1256 00:55:53,239 --> 00:55:55,040 Speaker 2: the city. I heard it on the subway, but I 1257 00:55:55,120 --> 00:55:56,759 Speaker 2: just figured it was sirens in the distance. And now 1258 00:55:56,760 --> 00:55:58,560 Speaker 2: in my house and I'm in a quiet area of 1259 00:55:58,640 --> 00:56:01,440 Speaker 2: Queen's I mean, I mean ailes from Manhattan, so I 1260 00:56:01,480 --> 00:56:04,719 Speaker 2: don't know what sirens I was hearing. And they kept 1261 00:56:04,760 --> 00:56:06,279 Speaker 2: going to my ear, and I kept going to my ear, 1262 00:56:06,280 --> 00:56:08,360 Speaker 2: and the sirens, siren, sirens. So I was taking a 1263 00:56:08,360 --> 00:56:10,400 Speaker 2: shower and I was hearing it over the water, So 1264 00:56:10,440 --> 00:56:12,279 Speaker 2: I said, this is a normal So I opened up 1265 00:56:12,280 --> 00:56:15,240 Speaker 2: my window and I heard it, but there was nothing outside. 1266 00:56:15,280 --> 00:56:17,520 Speaker 2: I couldn't see anything. I shut the shower off. I 1267 00:56:17,560 --> 00:56:20,480 Speaker 2: walked out in my hallway and the sirens were continuing. 1268 00:56:20,480 --> 00:56:22,440 Speaker 2: And then I went in my room and that's when 1269 00:56:22,440 --> 00:56:24,839 Speaker 2: I realized the sirens were from me, just hearing them 1270 00:56:24,880 --> 00:56:28,719 Speaker 2: constantly throughout the day, and I could not get that 1271 00:56:28,719 --> 00:56:31,600 Speaker 2: that siren sound out of my ears. It was just echoing. 1272 00:56:32,120 --> 00:56:36,000 Speaker 1: Just em better than you in your psyching. Reflecting on 1273 00:56:36,080 --> 00:56:39,800 Speaker 1: it now you talk about it, you've written about it, 1274 00:56:39,800 --> 00:56:42,040 Speaker 1: it must still and you said at the start of 1275 00:56:42,080 --> 00:56:44,520 Speaker 1: the podcast that, yeah, there's not a day that goes 1276 00:56:44,560 --> 00:56:48,000 Speaker 1: by where you don't don't think about it. After an 1277 00:56:48,040 --> 00:56:51,640 Speaker 1: experience like that, did you feel like I don't want 1278 00:56:51,640 --> 00:56:54,000 Speaker 1: to be part of this anymore? Or did it stir 1279 00:56:54,120 --> 00:56:56,759 Speaker 1: something different than you that you thought, Okay, well I 1280 00:56:56,840 --> 00:56:59,759 Speaker 1: want to stay and make a difference. What was the 1281 00:56:59,760 --> 00:57:01,600 Speaker 1: fear in your head, because I would imagine that a 1282 00:57:01,600 --> 00:57:05,319 Speaker 1: cross your mind experiencing something like that. The stuff is 1283 00:57:05,360 --> 00:57:06,960 Speaker 1: I'm going to get out of the city. I just 1284 00:57:07,000 --> 00:57:10,120 Speaker 1: want to leave a y life of peace. What was 1285 00:57:10,160 --> 00:57:12,799 Speaker 1: going through your mind after experiencing what you did on 1286 00:57:12,880 --> 00:57:13,239 Speaker 1: met day. 1287 00:57:14,120 --> 00:57:16,960 Speaker 2: I didn't really have the time to think about a 1288 00:57:17,040 --> 00:57:19,160 Speaker 2: future of my police work at that moment, because what 1289 00:57:19,200 --> 00:57:20,440 Speaker 2: I wanted to do was the first thing I did 1290 00:57:20,520 --> 00:57:22,360 Speaker 2: was I put on my construction boots and my pants 1291 00:57:22,360 --> 00:57:25,040 Speaker 2: and my heavy duty shirt, and I was my gloves. 1292 00:57:25,080 --> 00:57:26,440 Speaker 2: I had the heavy gloves on. I was ready to 1293 00:57:26,480 --> 00:57:28,640 Speaker 2: dig for survivors. And I went to work the next 1294 00:57:28,760 --> 00:57:32,160 Speaker 2: day and somebody I worked with drove me there, and 1295 00:57:32,520 --> 00:57:34,960 Speaker 2: I really wanted to get back into it. You know, 1296 00:57:35,240 --> 00:57:38,480 Speaker 2: the NYPD didn't have the time to, you know, really 1297 00:57:38,520 --> 00:57:39,919 Speaker 2: say Hey, what are you going to do. We're gonna 1298 00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:41,520 Speaker 2: do this, We're gonna do that. The playbook was still 1299 00:57:41,560 --> 00:57:44,680 Speaker 2: thrown out the window, and there was no playbook. There 1300 00:57:44,760 --> 00:57:46,360 Speaker 2: was no like, hey, John, come back at this time. 1301 00:57:46,400 --> 00:57:48,440 Speaker 2: I just went right back to the same location I 1302 00:57:48,560 --> 00:57:50,880 Speaker 2: was at. And when I went back into the city 1303 00:57:50,880 --> 00:57:52,680 Speaker 2: the next day, it was the next day and it 1304 00:57:52,720 --> 00:57:54,840 Speaker 2: was still nice out, but it had looked like a 1305 00:57:54,880 --> 00:57:57,760 Speaker 2: tornado went through the city, tore everything up, threw it 1306 00:57:57,760 --> 00:57:59,360 Speaker 2: in the air, and threw it back down on the floor. 1307 00:58:00,160 --> 00:58:03,440 Speaker 2: I looked downtown and I saw the building had these 1308 00:58:04,000 --> 00:58:05,640 Speaker 2: the metal you could see it now in old pictures, 1309 00:58:05,680 --> 00:58:08,200 Speaker 2: and I saw it directly. The metal structure of the facade. 1310 00:58:08,200 --> 00:58:10,360 Speaker 2: There was these four like beam looking things that didn't 1311 00:58:10,360 --> 00:58:13,080 Speaker 2: get knocked down, and they just like a fork, stood 1312 00:58:13,120 --> 00:58:15,480 Speaker 2: up in the air and there was all debris around it. 1313 00:58:15,520 --> 00:58:17,440 Speaker 2: And I couldn't believe that out of all that that 1314 00:58:17,560 --> 00:58:20,880 Speaker 2: stood like a relic. Was very odd. So I saw that, 1315 00:58:21,040 --> 00:58:24,120 Speaker 2: and then I was we couldn't find a parking spot, 1316 00:58:24,200 --> 00:58:27,000 Speaker 2: and then we were looking for parking spots next to 1317 00:58:27,080 --> 00:58:30,560 Speaker 2: carse with broken windows and debris filled in it, and 1318 00:58:30,720 --> 00:58:33,680 Speaker 2: it was like, wow, really something went through here yesterday 1319 00:58:33,840 --> 00:58:35,880 Speaker 2: because we were actually had a park closer than I 1320 00:58:35,920 --> 00:58:36,680 Speaker 2: was the day before. 1321 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:39,920 Speaker 1: You you grew up in New York, you were a 1322 00:58:40,040 --> 00:58:42,959 Speaker 1: New York boy through and through. You're a cop in 1323 00:58:43,000 --> 00:58:45,800 Speaker 1: New York. What was the impact that it had from 1324 00:58:45,800 --> 00:58:48,120 Speaker 1: your observations it? 1325 00:58:48,760 --> 00:58:50,800 Speaker 2: Like I said, there was there was no madness. It 1326 00:58:50,960 --> 00:58:55,680 Speaker 2: was everything in a strange way, calms down, like even 1327 00:58:55,680 --> 00:58:58,960 Speaker 2: the subway ride was calm like. The next day, I 1328 00:58:59,040 --> 00:59:00,800 Speaker 2: was in uniform and people offered me a seat on 1329 00:59:00,840 --> 00:59:04,120 Speaker 2: the subway. That doesn't happen. People don't know what I need. 1330 00:59:04,160 --> 00:59:06,400 Speaker 2: City police officer seats on the subway, so I knew 1331 00:59:06,440 --> 00:59:08,800 Speaker 2: times were different. And as soon as I got back 1332 00:59:08,800 --> 00:59:12,960 Speaker 2: to one police plaza, I you know, the supplies started 1333 00:59:13,000 --> 00:59:15,360 Speaker 2: showing up right away. It was like America started grieving 1334 00:59:15,360 --> 00:59:19,160 Speaker 2: within the hours. And I saw cases of water. I 1335 00:59:19,760 --> 00:59:21,840 Speaker 2: you know. A stranger walked up to me and goes, hey, 1336 00:59:21,880 --> 00:59:24,320 Speaker 2: why don't you go down there to this block or upstairs? 1337 00:59:24,320 --> 00:59:26,840 Speaker 2: They're cooking steaks on the roof. So I'm like, yeah, 1338 00:59:26,840 --> 00:59:28,800 Speaker 2: I'm gonna go. I'll see in ten minutes. I don't 1339 00:59:28,840 --> 00:59:30,560 Speaker 2: know what this guy was talking about. I look back now, 1340 00:59:30,800 --> 00:59:32,800 Speaker 2: they were, you know, cooking steak for the city workers 1341 00:59:32,840 --> 00:59:34,440 Speaker 2: up on their roof, and guys were going taking their 1342 00:59:34,440 --> 00:59:35,840 Speaker 2: breaks up there. That was really happening. 1343 00:59:36,200 --> 00:59:40,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's almost like the people understand the time of 1344 00:59:41,040 --> 00:59:44,400 Speaker 1: travel like that. Obviously it's probably an understatement, but the 1345 00:59:44,440 --> 00:59:48,800 Speaker 1: importance of the emergency workers and all that. So I've 1346 00:59:48,840 --> 00:59:51,840 Speaker 1: watched that what you see, you see the shows about it, 1347 00:59:51,880 --> 00:59:53,600 Speaker 1: I've read about it and all that, but this is 1348 00:59:53,600 --> 00:59:55,840 Speaker 1: the first time I've had the first hand account of 1349 00:59:56,280 --> 00:59:59,960 Speaker 1: someone that was there, and you bought it to life 1350 01:00:00,160 --> 01:00:03,400 Speaker 1: in the article that you wrote about and what you're 1351 01:00:03,440 --> 01:00:06,800 Speaker 1: talking about it. So thanks, Thanks for that we might 1352 01:00:06,840 --> 01:00:09,880 Speaker 1: take a break now, and when we come back for 1353 01:00:10,000 --> 01:00:12,480 Speaker 1: part two, we're going to delve into life of a 1354 01:00:12,560 --> 01:00:14,680 Speaker 1: New York cop because I'm fascinated by it. I've been 1355 01:00:14,720 --> 01:00:17,440 Speaker 1: watching those TV shows and those movies my whole career, 1356 01:00:17,600 --> 01:00:19,800 Speaker 1: and I've got my own police career over here. But 1357 01:00:19,880 --> 01:00:21,880 Speaker 1: there was something about being a cop in New York. 1358 01:00:22,120 --> 01:00:24,840 Speaker 1: It seemed to be the sharp end of policing. So 1359 01:00:25,240 --> 01:00:27,360 Speaker 1: when we come back for part two, if you could 1360 01:00:27,760 --> 01:00:30,439 Speaker 1: take us into the world of a New York cop, 1361 01:00:30,640 --> 01:00:33,720 Speaker 1: that would be very much appreciated. Sure, cheers,