Police Officer Peter O. Rodriguez

Police Officer Peter O. Rodriguez

New York City Police Department, New York

End of Watch Sunday, February 12, 2012

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Peter O. Rodriguez

Police Officer Peter O. Rodriguez died as a direct result of illnesses he contracted after inhaling toxic materials as he participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.

Officer Rodriguez served with the New York City Police Department for 12 years and was assigned to the Auto Crime Division.


The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks

On the morning of September 11th, 2001, seventy-two officers from a total of eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed when terrorist hijackers working for the al Qaeda terrorist network, headed by Osama bin Laden, crashed four hijacked planes into the World Trade Center towers in New York City, the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

After the impact of the first plane into the World Trade Center's North Tower, putting the safety of others before their own, law enforcement officers along with fire and EMS personnel, rushed to the burning Twin Towers of the World Trade Center to aid the victims and lead them to safety. Due to their quick actions, it is estimated that over 25,000 people were saved.

As the evacuation continued, the South Tower unexpectedly collapsed as a result of the intense fire caused by the impact. The North Tower collapsed a short time later. Seventy-two law enforcement officers, 343 members of the New York City Fire Department, and over 2,800 civilians were killed at the World Trade Center site on 9/11.

A third hijacked plane crashed into a field in rural Pennsylvania when the passengers attempted to re-take control of the plane. One law enforcement officer, who was a passenger on the plane, was killed in that crash.

The fourth hijacked plane was crashed into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, killing almost 200 military and civilian personnel. No law enforcement officers were killed at the Pentagon on 9/11.

The terrorist attacks resulted in the declaration of war against the Taliban regime, the illegal rulers of Afghanistan, and the al Qaeda terrorist network which also was based in Afghanistan.

On September 9th, 2005, all of the public safety officers killed on September 11th, 2001, were posthumously awarded the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor by President George W. Bush.

The contamination in the air at the World Trade Center site caused many rescue personnel to become extremely ill and eventually led to the death of several rescue workers.

On May 1st, 2011, members of the United States military conducted a raid on a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and killed Osama bin Laden.

Please click here to visit the memorials of all of the law enforcement officers who have died as a result of the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks.

Bio

  • Age 37
  • Tour 12 years
  • Badge Not available

Incident Details

  • Cause 9/11 related illness
  • Incident Date Tuesday, September 11, 2001
  • Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet
  • Offender 19 suicide attackers

9/11, terrorism

Most Recent Reflection

View all 11 Reflections

I will never forget this day Pete, I called you multiple times on 9/11 and you did not answer your phone, I was so relieved when you finally called me back and I heard your voice. You had just worked a midnight tour and after that day I did not see or hear from you for a very long time as you like many others were working basically around the clock. A few years later in 2006 I became a New York City Police Officer just like you, you loved the job, you left your studies at Columbia University short of one class to join the Police Department. A few years later we found out you had Cancer, you lived two very short years after the diagnosis, multiple trips to the hospital and treatments. Pete, I will never forget you, you were an amazing brother-in-law and an awesome uncle to your nieces. I will make sure they forever remember you; we love you.

Detective Brugal
New York City Police Department

September 14, 2023

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