Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik died at the age of 69 “after a private battle with illness,” FBI Director Kash Patel announced May 29.
Kerik was New York City’s top cop in the wake of terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
“With over forty years of service in law enforcement and national security, he dedicated his life to protecting the American people,” Patel wrote on X. “As the 40th Police Commissioner of New York City, Bernie led with strength and resolve in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks, guiding the NYPD through one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history.”
The NYPD echoed Patel’s sentiment in a statement posted on X, saying, “for nearly two decades, Kerik served and protected New Yorkers in the NYPD, including helping rebuild the city in the aftermath of 9/11.”
Kerik was later nominated by President George W. Bush to lead the Department of Homeland Security during the early stages of the United States’ War on Terror.
“Bernie Kerik understands the duties that came to America on September the 11th. The resolve he felt that morning will guide him every day on his job,” Bush said in 2004.
The nomination was short-lived as Kerik withdrew from consideration days after. His employment of an undocumented migrant as a nanny was later stated as the reason for his withdrawal.
Kerik spent three years in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2009 to eight felonies, including tax fraud. His case centered around claims that a construction company seeking a city license paid for renovations at his home. He was later pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2020.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy W. Giuliani posted on X: “He was a decorated police officer, Corrections commissioner and NYC police commissioner during the worst terrorist attack on American soil. Bernie oversaw the biggest evacuation of a city during this time. His work in security has benefited many communities.”
Contributing: James Powel – USA TODAY, Reuters
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bernard Kerik, NYC’s top cop on 9/11, dead at 69
