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NYPD Honors 9/11 Responders and Omar Edwards at Police Memorial

By DNAinfo Staff on October 13, 2010 4:56pm

By Olivia Scheck

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

BATTERY PARK — Hundreds gathered at the NYPD Memorial wall Wednesday morning as the city added a dozen new names of police killed in the line of duty, including a detective who was shot by a fellow officer.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and Battery Park City Authority chairman Bill Thompson were on hand for the ceremony, which paid tribute to 11 officers who died from health issues brought on by their 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts.

The 12th honoree, Det. Omar Edwards, was shot by a fellow police officer in Harlem while pursuing a man who tried to break into his car.

The names of the fallen officers were inscribed on the memorial wall, which stands a block away from Ground Zero in Battery Park City.

Susie McMurry, 49, with her sons Fred, 11 and Billy, 9, pictured at an event in June.
Susie McMurry, 49, with her sons Fred, 11 and Billy, 9, pictured at an event in June.
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DNAinfo/Jill Colvin

"It's nice to know there's somewhere we can come…and to know that there are thousands of people who walk through here each day," said retired police officer Anthony Morales, whose father, Det. Michael P. Morales, was a first responder on 9/11 and later participated in recovery effort at the Fresh Kills landfill.

Det. Morales' sister, Elisa Borruso, said her brother, a Chelsea native, died only three weeks after being diagnosed with cancer, the disease having spread throughout his entire body.

Susie McMurry, whose late husband Christopher McMurry died of a brain tumor at 43 after inhaling toxic fumes at Ground Zero, attended the ceremony with her two young sons. He had been sick for five years before his death in 2008, his wife explained while fighting back tears Wednesday.

During his remarks, Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke of the need for "a dedicated funding stream for research and treatment of 9/11-related health conditions."

"We're closer to achieving that than ever before," the mayor said, noting the recent passage of the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act in the House of Representatives.

"We owe [these men and women] our solemn commitment to honor their memories and take care of everyone affected by the attack."