Seven of New York’s Finest were honored in the Bronx on Tuesday for their roles in helping a little boy who was shot last week.
Calling the group a “shining example of what it means to protect and serve,” Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. presented each of the officers with a citation of merit during a special ceremony at his Concourse Village office.
“I want to thank all of these brave police officers, who risk their lives, day in and day out, to keep our streets safe,” Diaz added.
Omari Millien, 5, and his father, Jaquan Millien, were in the stairwell of a building in the Butler Houses, a NYCHA development in the Claremont Village neighborhood, when they were both shot around 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 23, according to officials. Millien, 29, was rushed to Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center but could not be saved.
Officers who arrived on the scene also found Omari in the stairwell with a gunshot wound to his right arm and acted quickly to slow the blood loss before rushing him to St. Barnabas Hospital via a police vehicle, officials said. Among the honorees on Tuesday was Lt. Eric Dym, who took off his belt and used it as a tourniquet on Omari’s arm.
“I was getting ready for today and as I was looking for my belt," Dym said at the ceremony. "It reminded me of Omari.”
Omari remained hospitalized on Tuesday and couldn’t attend the ceremony honoring the officers who helped save his life. Dym said he recently visited the boy in the hospital and marveled at his resilient spirit.
“I never thought that my superhero would be a 5-year-old,” Dym said. “[Omari] was calm, he was smiling, he had his arm in a sling, reading superhero comics. And I told him, ‘you’re my superhero.’ And he told me he wants to be a cop.
“And that definitely solidifies why we do what we do. Just hearing him say that — I can’t be more proud to do this job that we do, day in and day out.”
In addition to Dym, the borough president honored officers James Perales, Surrendra Seewah, Jacqueline Marku, John Olsen, Pablo Flores and Ariel Colon for their “heroism and courage under pressure.”
Police are still searching for the gunman in the case and the investigation is ongoing.
