David Cairns Pettigrew

Freeport Police Department — Freeport, NY

Veteran → Cardiac

End of Watch February 11, 1934

Age 30

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

The Vigil Panel 67 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 2

Incident

Sergeant David Pettigrew suffered a fatal heart attack while making an arrest at a large disturbance. He had responded to the Moose Club at 300 West Merrick Road with other officers to quell a disturbance. While at the scene, Sergeant Pettigrew was arresting a suspect for assaulting another officer when he suffered a heart attack and died. Sergeant Pettigrew was a WWI veteran and had served with the Freeport Police Department for 11 years.

Survivors

He was survived by is wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NY-01E981C6
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Sergeant Pettigrew gave the Freeport Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Freeport community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Freeport Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Freeport, NY

Platform Identity fpd.nassau.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 11, 1934

Tour of Duty 11 yrs

Age 30

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Weapon Not available

Military Service

David Cairns Pettigrew served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant David Cairns Pettigrew is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In NY, 99 of 2,147 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 4.6% of this state's fallen. That is 4.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Freeport Police Department, 1 of 3 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.

Freeport Police Department

of 3 officers

33.3% Cardiac

NY — Statewide

of 2,147 officers

4.6% Cardiac

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Cardiac