Memorial unveiled for slain Mount Vernon officer

The memorial for a slain Mount Vernon officer was revealed at a ceremony in White Plains Saturday.

News 12 Staff

Aug 31, 2019, 3:38 PM

Updated 1,791 days ago

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The memorial for a slain Mount Vernon officer was revealed at a ceremony in White Plains Saturday.
Over a year ago, Westchester County legislators unanimously approved a memorial to honor Mount Vernon Detective Christopher A. Ridley.
Ridley's family, friends, fellow officers and legislators gathered in the plaza named after him in front of 85 Court St. for a ceremony to unveil the monument.
Ridley was a 23-year-old rookie officer when he died. He was off-duty when he was shot by four county police officers when he stepped in to break up a fight in plain clothes.
A federal grand jury found the officers not liable in Ridley's death.
Those who knew him say the ceremony isn't about focusing on how Ridley died, but about remembering his life.  
The front of the monument has a picture of Ridley and remembers his life of service. On the back is the poem, "And I Still Rise," by Dr. Maya Angelou.
Over a decade since his death, Ridley will be memorialized steps from where he was fatally shot.


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