12 APRIL 20 - APRIL 26, 2018 BROOKLYN MEDIA GROUP
Officers from the 68th Precinct buy wheelchair
for woman whose own chair was stolen
BY JAIME DEJESUS
JDEJESUS@BROOKLYNREPORTER.COM
Real heroes with hearts of gold.
Within an hour or so of the
theft, 68th Precinct Police
Officers Matthew Slavin and Yaser
Shohatee bought a new wheelchair to
replace one that had been stolen from
Wu Xu, a partially paralyzed woman,
at the corner of 74th Street and Fifth
Avenue on Tuesday, April 17.
According to reports, at around 4:45
p.m., Xu got up from the wheelchair
with the assistance of her husband.
As they were buying apples at a local
market, a crook nabbed the chair and
took off with it.
A witness saw the theft, called 911
and got the victim a seat so she could
wait comfortably for cops to show
up. A staffer for State Senator Marty
Golden — whose office is nearby —
overheard the call, and the victim
was brought to Golden's office while
the police canvassed the area in search
of the crook and the wheelchair.
Xu, who, with her husband, is
Police Officers Matthew Slavin and Yaser Shohatee with Wu Xu.
visiting from China, explained
through translator Katie Wong, who
Photo courtesy of State Senator Marty Golden
works for Golden, that she had recently
suffered a stroke, which had
resulted in the partial paralysis.
The couple is staying with their son in
Bay Ridge. He had bought her the wheelchair
only five days prior to the theft.
Around an hour later, the two officers
— who were unsuccessful in their
efforts to locate the perp or the wheelchair
— arrived at Golden's office with
a wheelchair that they had purchased
with their own money.
A police report was taken and the
case has been referred to the Detective
Squad.
Golden will be presenting the officers
with official recognition from the
State Senate next week.
“I want to commend this extraordinary
act of human compassion
exhibited by 68th Precinct Officers
Slavin and Shohatee, which cannot go
unrecognized," said Golden. "Thank
you to these officers for serving the
68th Precinct and for truly showing
concern for those they serve and
protect. These heroes went above and
beyond the call of duty, and on behalf
of a grateful community, I want to say
thank you.”
URSULA A. GANGEMI Esq.
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