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Crime & Safety

Long Island Shields Organization Honors Officers, Fallen SEAL in Farmingdale

Fraternal police organization honored Inspector Rodney Harrison, Detective Dwayne Davis, and Lieutenant Michael Murphy at Stuart Thomas Manor in Farmingdale.

The Long Island Shields, a fraternal and social organization of both retired and active law enforcement professionals, honored NYPD Detective Dwayne Davis, NYPD Inspector Rodney Harrison and the family of late Lieutenant Michael Murphy, who was killed in Afghanistan, at a dinner at in Farmingdale on Thursday.

Lieutenant Michael P. Murphy, from East Northport, was a Navy SEAL killed in a Taliban ambush in Afghanistan. Lt. Murphy’s team was severely outnumbered in the ambush, and in order to save the members of his team, Lt. Murphy moved into the line of fire to make a satellite phone call to secure backup and rescue for the members of his team. 

While making this phone call, he was shot lethally, and eventually died from his wounds. Lt. Murphy’s display of courage and bravery led him to be posthumously awarded the highest honor in the United States military, the Congressional Medal of Honor. 

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The Shields organization honored his legacy and invited his father Daniel Murphy and author Gary Williams, who wrote the biography SEAL of Honor: Operation Red Wings and the Life of LT. Michael P. Murphy, USN, to speak at the dinner. 

The book captures the life, and unfortunate yet valorous death of Lt. Murphy.  While the book and the accompanying notoriety have been comforting to his parents Daniel and Maureen Murphy, his father said that, “we’d give it all up to have Michael walk in our door.”

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A U.S. Navy Destroyer in memory of Lt. Murphy is soon to be commissioned.  Currently under construction in Bath, Maine, the USS Michael Murphy is scheduled to be launched within several months.  Lt. Commander Thomas Schultz, the soon-to-be commanding officer of the ship, was scheduled to appear and speak at the Shields meeting, but was called away at short notice and could not be present.

Inspector Rodney Harrison was also honored at the meeting, for his service and dedication to the 28th precinct in Harlem, and his efforts to get a street renamed after NYPD Patrolman Phillip Cardillo. Cardillo was originally a patrolman assigned to the 28th precinct, and was killed on April 14, 1972 while responding to a call at a Harlem Mosque.

Since the incident, only one of the suspected perpetrators, Louis 17X Dupree, was tried and eventually acquitted of the incident.  Some in the law enforcement profession, including many in the Long Island Shields, believe the incident was never fully pursued by police due to political reasons.

Inspector Harrison recently became the commanding officer of the 28th precinct, and took interest in the incident.  

“It is embarrassing to say that as a commanding officer, I did not know much about history the precinct I was leading in the beginning,” Harrison said, but after learning of the Cardillo incident, he actively pursued the street renaming to honor the life of Cardillo. Harrison’s partner, Detective Dwayne Davis, was honored by the Shields for his work assisting Harrison's effort, and his overall dedication to the force.

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