Randy Jurgensen met with Chief Constable Caban on August 22 at police headquarters in Lower Manhattan in a private ceremony attended by police leaders and family members.
Photo by Dean Moses
NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban on Thursday awarded the Police Combat Cross to a retired detective who arrested two suspects who killed a police officer nearly 60 years ago.
Randy Jurgensen met with top cop Caban on August 22 at police headquarters in Lower Manhattan in a private ceremony attended by police leadership and family members. The 90-year-old, who has made films such as cruise He worked with Al Pacino and acted as a consultant on several films. He received a hero’s welcome from Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny, Assistant Commissioner Tania Kinsella and many others.
Jurgensen was honored for a courageous arrest that took place on East 53rd Street between Lexington and 3rd Avenue on October 7, 1968. Jurgensen was off-duty but intervened when Patrolman John Varecha was shot and killed.
According to police, Jurgensen ran into the alley of Arthur’s Club with his gun drawn as shots rang out, with one bullet even shattering a nearby bank window. Unfortunately, Varecha was fatally wounded and Jurgensen held the officer in his arms as he lay dying. The detective then pursued the perpetrators when he himself was shot, causing hearing loss in his right ear.
Jurgensen continued the pursuit and after a brief street brawl between parked cars, he managed to overpower and arrest one of the suspects. At the same time, he gave his colleagues a description of the second offender, who was arrested by the police that same evening.
“Fifty-six years ago, you did what we ask of every single officer every day: you went out there without regard for your own life, for your own safety,” Caban said as he presented the award. “Please accept this Combat Cross on our behalf. God bless you.”
The Police Combat Cross is the second highest award a police officer can receive and is awarded for extraordinary heroism in combat against an armed opponent under conditions of imminent personal danger.
After receiving the award, Jurgensen said his thoughts were still with Varecha, who died that night decades ago.
“I am humbled, however, now thinking of Patrolman John Varecha, who lost his life doing what he swore to do: his duty. There is a wall downstairs with a list of heroes, five of whom I know personally. John Varecha is in damn good company,” Jurgensen said sadly. “God bless us all.”
The ceremony ended with Commissioner Caban pinning the medal to Jurgensen’s chest.
“Rand and I have known each other our whole lives and he’s not one for awards. But this is a tremendous honor and he deserves it,” said retired FBI Special Agent Joe Pistone, better known as Donnie Brasco, played by Johnny Depp in the film of the same name. “The fact is, Jurgensen is a real detective. He’s one of the best detectives in the NVDO.”