Police Officers of the Month - December 2007

The Shields of Long Island are proud to name Captain Vincent LoRusso of the N Y P D as our Police Officer of the Month.

Life is good and all will be well for one very lucky lady, due to the quick actions of off duty NYPD Captain Vincent LoRusso. Captain Vincent LoRusso a resident of Garden City, and his family were traveling eastbound on Stewart Avenue on July 1, 2007 at 12:40 p.m. when they drove up to a two-car collision. One of the vehicles was flipped on its side and on fire. Capt. LoRusso jumped out of his vehicle and ran toward the burning car, that he believed was occupied. Capt. LoRusso observed a woman in the driver's seat. Without a moments hesitation Capt. LoRusso attempted to extricate the elderly female driver from the vehicle but he was unable to do so due to the positioning of her body on top of the seat buckle.

Recognizing that the fire was becoming more intense Captain LoRusso, disregarding his own safety, and while being dressed in only shorts, a shirt and sneakers, kicked in the front windshield and proceeded to extricate the occupant. He climbed into the burning vehicle to release the woman's jammed seatbelt and extracted the woman through the windshield. He removed her away from the now fully engulfed vehicle and along with another motorist carried her to safety.

The Garden City Fire Department arrived to extinguish the car fire. The driver of the vehicle and Captain LoRusso were both taken to Winthrop University Hospital with numerous lacerations to their arms, legs and hands from the windshield glass. Both were treated and released to make a full recovery.

Captain Vincent LoRusso was at the right place at the right time for this lifesaving rescue. He did not hesitate and placed himself in grave danger in order to rescue a stranger.

The Shields of Long Island are proud to name Captain Vincent LoRusso as our Police Officer of The Month.