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TRIBUTE: Fallen Police Officers Christopher Goodell of Waldwick and Stephen Petruzzello of Cliffside Park were among five officer honored at a Blue Mass in Trenton yesterday.
Waldwick Police Officer Christopher Goodell
Goodell, 32, was working a radar detail in his unmarked cruiser, parked on the shoulder of southbound Route 17, when it was struck by an 18-wheeler driven by a Brooklyn trucker the morning of July 17 last year. The impact instantly killed him.
Petruzzello, 22, died of injuries after he fellow rookie Thaier (Theo) Abdallah were hit by an SUV on a borough street the night of Dec. 27.
Petruzzello, who was a special officer at the time, was promoted to a full-fledged position by the borough mayor and council hours after his death two days later.
JCPD Officer Melvin Santiago (CLIFFVIEW PILOT photo)
Also honored yesterday was Jersey City Police Detective Melvin Santiago, who was shot and killed last July 13 while responding to a holdup, and NYPD Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, who were gunned down in cold blood as they sat in their cruiser on a Brooklyn street corner last year just days before Christmas.
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ALSO SEE: Fallen Police Officers Christopher Goodell of Waldwick and Stephen Petruzzello of Cliffside Park will be on the minds of many of the riders participating in this year’s Policy Unity Tour, due to arrive at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. on May 12. READ MORE….
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Cliffside Park Police Officer Stephen Petruzzello
Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno yesterday joined Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman, Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson and law enforcement officers from across New Jersey at the 16th Annual Celebration of Law Enforcement at St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral in Trenton.
Also honored were Newark Police Officer Reinaldo Arocha, Jr. and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Detective John Scott Stevens.
The Blue Mass each year brings law enforcement officers, their families and friends to join together for prayer and reflection. In addition to remembering the sacrifice and service of those who died, current officers receive a blessing for their safety.
PHOTOS: Courtesy GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
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