Hundreds gather at St. Agnes to remember late Det. Steven McDonald

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Hundreds attended a service at St. Agnes Cathedral on Jan. 10 to remember the late NYPD Det. Steven McDonald, a former Rockville Centre resident who died two years ago.

McDonald was shot in the line of duty in 1986 by a teenager he was questioning in Central Park, and left paralyzed until his death nearly 31 years later, in January 2017, at age 59.  His death came four days after he suffered a heart attack at his home in Malverne.

Shortly after he was shot, McDonald publicly forgave the shooter, 15-year-old Shavod Jones, and became known nationwide for his messages of forgiveness and peace.

Among those in attendance at the memorial Mass was McDonald’s wife, Patricia, who is the mayor of Malverne, as well as James P. O’Neill, who serves as New York City’s police commissioner.