Sabbir Ahmed, 27, was sworn in Wednesday as an NYPD recruit, vowing to carry on the legacy of his slain brother-in-law.
Ahmed joined 754 other recruits at the Police Academy in Queens for the ceremony, which came almost exactly 14 months after Detective Didarul Islam, 36, was gunned down in a mass shooting at a Park Avenue office tower. The new officer told The Post that wearing the badge fulfilled a dream he has held since emigrating from Bangladesh at age 14.
“It was my dream job to become a police officer and [I] want to [carry on] my brother-in-law’s legacy,” Ahmed said after the ceremony.
Islam had pushed Ahmed to complete his degree before applying to the force, and he did not hide the job’s dangers from his younger relative. Their conversations took on tragic weight when Islam was killed July 28, while working a security detail at 345 Park Ave. In Midtown Manhattan.
Shane Tamura, 27, entered the lobby carrying an assault rifle and opened fire, striking Islam with the first fatal shot. Tamura killed three other people before turning the gun on himself.
“[Islam] told me this job comes with a lot of stress, but at the end of the day you could help lots of people, whoever needs your help, and you’ll feel good about yourself,” Ahmed said.
The detective left behind a pregnant wife who gave birth to their third son weeks after the massacre. Despite the devastating loss, Ahmed said his parents were “really, really happy” about his decision to follow Islam into the department.
“I want to be a great police officer and I want to serve the community and I want to help whoever needs help,” Ahmed said.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch singled out Ahmed during Wednesday’s ceremony, directly addressing the family’s sacrifice. She noted that Islam was “killed in the line of duty last year while protecting New Yorkers.”
“Sabbir, your family has already given so much to this department as you begin your own career in the NYPD. We are especially proud to welcome you into our ranks,” Tisch said.
The commissioner told the assembled recruits that their chosen path would demand extraordinary commitment. “Today, 755 of you raised your right hands and took the oath to serve this city,” she said. “You are beginning a career that will ask an extraordinary amount of you, and one that I believe is about the noblest callings a person can take on.”
The shooting at the Blackstone and NFL office building ranked among the deadliest in Midtown Manhattan in years. Islam, in uniform and on security duty, was the first victim struck when Tamura began firing in the lobby. The gunman killed four people total before dying by suicide.
Ahmed’s path to the academy was shaped by Islam’s guidance from the start. The detective insisted on education first, a condition Ahmed met before finally submitting his application.