An NYPD recruit died of an apparently heat-related medical episode at the department’s Bronx shooting range Wednesday a week before he was set to graduate, cops and sources said.
Edgar Ordonez, 33, suffered a medical episode, likely related to heat exhaustion, at the Rodman’s Neck firing range around 11:30 a.m. on a sweltering summer day in the Big Apple, according to the NYPD and sources.
He was taken to Jacobi Medical Center, where he was initially listed in critical condition, but could not be saved.
His class was slated to graduate on Monday, sources said.
Police Commissioner Edward Caban posted a tribute to Ordonez on X.
“Our hearts are heavy as we honor our fallen brother, Probationary Police Officer Edgar Ordonez,” Caban said in the post.
“We tragically lost Edgar earlier today, just a few days before he was set to graduate and join his fellow Finest protecting New York City,” he added. “As we continue to grieve this terrible loss, we will keep Edgar’s family, friends, and fellow officers in our thoughts and prayers.”
PBA president Patrick Hendry called Ordonez a “beacon of joy and positive energy for his fellow recruits.
“He had the drive and determination necessary to become a New York City police officer, and he was just days away from hitting the streets and making a difference in protecting our city,” Hendry said in a statement.
“From the moment a police officer is sworn into the Police Academy, they become part of our Blue Family. Now we must focus on being there for his family as they deal with this unimaginable loss.”
In a separate, possibly heat-related incident at Fort Totten in Queens, an NYPD officer fainted and apparently struck their head Wednesday, according to sources.
That officer’s condition is not yet clear, and the NYPD did not immediately have official information on the episode.
There was a heat advisory in effect in the city Wednesday with highs of 86 and a heat index with humidity making it feel closer to 100 outside.