NYPD heroes, inspired by 9/11, ran toward danger as suspected terrorists targeted NYC

Two veteran NYPD officers say it was “instinct” that led them to charge toward smoldering IEDs during a suspected terror attack near Gracie Mansion last weekend.

NYPD Chief Aaron Edwards and Sgt. Luis Navarro ran toward danger when 18-year-old Amir Balat and 19-year-old Ibrahim Qayyumi allegedly threw explosives into a crowd. A photo that later went viral captured the moment Edwards leaped over a police barricade in pursuit of one of the ISIS-inspired suspects.

“They say when you’re a cop, no two days are alike, but this was like no other day,” Edwards told Fox News on Thursday, adding, “We just immediately began running towards this threat.” 

Both officers joined the force in the wake of the Sept. 11th terror attacks. Navarro said there was no time to think, only a drive to protect the public.

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks alongside Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch during a news conference at Gracie Mansion in New York City on Monday.  (Leonardo Munoz/AFP via Getty Images)

“I went straight on instinct. There was nothing that I could have thought about. There was no moment there where I could just say, hold on, slow down time, and just wait and see what I have,” said Navarro. 

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“I just know that as soon as, you know, the event started unfolding, I needed to save as many people as I could,” he added. 

The officers are being hailed as heroes for their bravery. Former NYPD Chief John Chell joined “Fox & Friends” on Thursday to praise the duo alongside retired Lt. Joe Cardinale and Blue Lives Matter co-founder Joe Imperatrice.

NYPD Bomb Squad officers search a car allegedly belonging to an individual who attempted to throw a homemade explosive at police officers on Sunday in New York City. (Ryan Murphy/Getty)

“It’s not a normal thing to run towards IEDs, and the chief, the sergeant… [and] all those cops converged to save people, and it was selfless act of bravery,” Chell said Thursday. 

“They’re all heroes. And thank God, those IEDs did not explode because they would have lost their lives, and that’s where people have to understand.”

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Other officers converged to contain and apprehend the pair before the devices could detonate. Their actions helped secure the area and take the suspects into custody before anyone was injured.

“It’s a great look for the NYPD. It’s good for recruitment,” Cardinale said of the officers. 

A suspect involved in the terror plot runs away after he allegedly threw an explosive. (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)

“We hope it inspires others to get out there. The job needs that right now. They need heroes like this.”

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Imperatrice pointed out that incidents like the attempted bombing highlight the everyday risks officers face, even when the outcome doesn’t end in tragedy.

“People don’t realize that at the end of the day, this is one of the most dangerous jobs out there, and when officers leave their homes, they may not come home. So we shouldn’t just need an incident like this that goes on the news to start respecting our cops, which should be happening every single day.”