Active Det. Luis G. Fernandez died in the line of duty on October 16, 2014 at the age of 44 from inoperable cancers contracted as a result of his work on the rescue and recovery from the World Trade Center Disaster. In addition to his work at Ground Zero, Det. Fernandez spent months sifting through the rubble at the Staten Island landfill.
Fernandez was appointed to the force April 30, 1991, and earned his gold shield on January 25, 2000. From May 2012 until he passed away, he was the DEA Delegate representing his colleagues from ESU Truck #6. He was “a personality bigger than life itself” and “the kind of guy who would drop everything and run to a friend’s aid.”
Louie, as he was called, loved the NYPD and especially the elite Emergency Services Unit of the Special Operations Division. As the saying goes, “When a citizen needs help they call the police; when the police need help, they call ESU.”
Among their many hobbies, Luis and his family loved watching professional sports together, so, in December of 2013 when he fell ill, members of his unit decided they would run in the 2014 NYC Marathon in his honor.
Det. Fernandez is buried at Mount St. Mary Cemetery in Flushing, New York.
