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NYPD Emerald Society member Sgt. John O'Hara will always be known as a Bronx Irish Catholic, no matter where he may eventually retire and settle. With nearly 30 years on the NYPD, he sees no immediate plans to leave the job he is truly dedicated to. Although many things have changed over the years, he is quite content with hanging his hat in his hometown borough the Bronx, while proudly wearing his PD hat in Brooklyn. He has been flying high above New York City since 1987, as a member of the Aviation Unit. Since being promoted 1998 he has been airborne with his chevrons, supervising the NYPD helicopter crews out of Floyd Bennett Field. In keeping the family tradition alive, a young O'Hara came on the job in 1981, following in the footsteps of his 3 uncles and his father. Pat O'Hara was a Detective in the Bronx for many years and John was proud to be a "chip off the old block", even if it meant temporarily interrupting his studies at Manhattan College. After getting his feet wet in the 43 Precinct, he moved on to Emergency Service. His first assignment was at Truck-3, which at that time covered the entire Bronx. There he enjoyed learning from veteran E-men who showed him the ropes. Teamwork and safety, was always stressed in doing things the "Emergency way". He loved everything about his assignment to ESU, the camaraderie, helping out the cops in the precincts and learning something new every day while on radio emergency patrol. On a November night in 1986 all the tactical training O'Hara ever received would be needed, along with gut-wrenching courage. O'Hara along with other members of ESU, were called upon to assist detectives in the apprehension of a notorious Bronx felon named Larry Davis. After entering an apartment occupied by Davis' sister, the detectives began questioning her. Suddenly Davis appeared from a back room and was armed with a .45 caliber hand gun and a shotgun. He began firing at the officers, O'Hara and others returned fire, but had to cease when the perp used young children to shield himself. Davis continued to fire his weapons recklessly, with rounds passing through walls and doors. Six police officers were wounded by the fierce gunfire. O'Hara was shot in the face, right arm and hand during the chaotic scene. He credits Sgt. Eddie Coulter the ESU supervisor for saving him from further injury, as Coulter in spite of his own injuries grabbed O'Hara's vest and pulled him from the line of fire. Miraculously the young children were not injured as shot after shot exploded in the bloody mayhem. O'Hara's and his team used incredible restraint in not returning gunfire. They placed themselves in great peril with their concern for the children. Their bravery while under fire was truly incredible. Other units raced to the scene and assisted the seriously wounded cops. Davis was eventually caught and later was murdered in prison. Throughout a lengthy recovery John O'Hara's goal was to return to work. With total commitment on his part, he persevered and made his way back to full duty returning to Truck-3. With a long time ambition to fly, he later transferred to Aviation and became a pilot. Among his more memorable jobs, he recalls 2 water rescues he responded to with Aviation's Air-Sea Rescue helicopter. In one case, while working in tandem with another NYPD copter, Harbor Unit's scuba divers were deployed in ocean waters 20 miles off-shore. Three victims were found in rough seas with their boat already sunk, the desperate trio was clinging to an igloo cooler and barely visible in the swells. The divers worked with great speed and secured the men. They were quickly scooped from the water and once aboard the first copter, O'Hara's crew moved in and recovered the lifesaving divers. In the second incident, again divers were delivered off-shore, this time to a capsized boat. Amazingly a victim was found inside an air pocket within the overturned vessel, during the divers search. The survivor was brought to the surface and transported back to shore. As you can see Sgt. O'Hara has always kept those lessons he learned many years ago about teamwork. No doubt there are many cops who have learned some valuable lessons about police work from the veteran boss. Life is not all blue for O'Hara, as he occasionally stops by an Emerald Society meeting. His broad Irish smile and waving hand can usually be found on March 17th as he marches among our ranks, and later on at the Party-on-the- Pier where he renews old friendships. John has also paralleled being married and raising his three sons with his police career. The love and support of his wife Bernadette, during the most difficult time of John O'Hara's life can never be over stated. Together they are thankful for their three sons Johnny, Timmy and Matthew. We can only wish the best for this notable Member and his family. Q & A Why did you become a member of New York's Finest? What's the best part of your current NYPD assignment? What do you enjoy most with your membership in the NYPD Emerald Society? What do you do during your off-duty time? What would you consider your most memorable day in the NYPD?
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