By Police1 Staff
NEW YORK — The daughter of an NYPD officer killed after responding to the 9/11 attacks is carrying on her father’s legacy.
On Thursday, Jillian Suarez was sworn in along with 270 other NYPD recruits to mark the beginning of the department’s six-month training program, according to an NYPD press release. Suarez was 9 years old when she lost her father Officer Ramon Suarez, who died during his rescue efforts at the World Trade Center following the 9/11 attacks.
“I grew up with my father walking in and out of the house with his uniform constantly on and I always admired him for that…he truly loved his job,” Jillian said.
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Ramon, who served with the NYPD for 16 years, was last seen re-entering the North Tower after he and another officer rescued a woman who couldn’t walk, according to Officer Down Memorial Page. Ramon was killed when the North Tower collapsed. He was posthumously awarded the NYPD’s Medal of Honor.
Jillian told WPIX in 2016 that it was difficult to her to speak about her father’s death. For 10 years, she said her father died of a heart attack.
“It’s not easy to constantly go through the memorials and know and hear your father’s name on that list of all those who passed away,” she said.
Jillian graduated with a degree from St. John’s University and is well-versed in forensic science. She said she hopes to carry her father’s legacy with pride and purpose.