P.O. John Kelly

On July 17, 2000, Police Officer John Kelly, a 31-year-old eight-year veteran and father of two, lost his life when the car he was driving struck a utility pole while he was chasing a fugitive on a motorcycle.

Officer Kelly, assigned to the Staten Island auto larceny unit, was from an extended family of cops. His brothers Thomas, James and Daniel are all on the NYPD; his wife, Patricia Duffy, works in the 120 Pct.; two of her brothers are cops and her sister is a retired lieutenant whose husband is still active.

“John Kelly died a hero,” Police Commissioner Howard Safir said shortly after his death. “He did what he was trained to do, what he loved to do.”

PBA President Patrick J. Lynch suggested that the man responsible for Officer Kelly’s death should be punished to the limits of the law. “You should pay for what you’ve done to these souls,” Lynch said.

Guido Tritto, a 43-year-old career criminal, was apprehended and charged with manslaughter, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident, criminal possession of stolen property and driving with a suspended license.