Dominick A. Pezzulo
Agency patch
Police Officer

Dominick A. Pezzulo

Illness
End of Watch September 11, 2001
Age 36
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 1 mo
The Vigil Panel 149 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Dominick Pezzulo was killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks while attempting to rescue the victims trapped in the World Trade Center.

As the South Tower collapsed, Officer Pezzulo and several other officers quickly ran to the building's elevator shaft. Only Officer Pezzulo and two other officers survived the initial collapse, but soon afterward, Officer Pezzulo was struck by falling debris.

The two officers that survived say, "Just remember me, I died trying to save you guys," were Officer Pezzulo's last words. He then fired a single shot into the air, trying to let the others know where his friends were, and then died.

Officer Pezzulo had served with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department for 13 months.

Officer Pezzulo had served with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department for 13 months.

September 11, 2001

Police Officer Dominick A. Pezzulo was killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001. He was 36 years old.

He is one of 72 officers honored here, and one of 37 at Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department.

Seventy-two law enforcement officers from eight local, state, and federal agencies were killed at the World Trade Center on the morning of September 11, 2001, alongside 343 members of the New York City Fire Department and more than 2,800 civilians. A fourth aircraft went down in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a law enforcement officer aboard was among the dead.

Officers went into the towers while everyone else was coming out. More than 25,000 people reached safety because they did.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two young children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-709684F9
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

You went in while everyone else was coming out.
Police Officer Pezzulo gave the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Jersey City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Pezzulo.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Jersey City, NJ
Platform Identity panynjpd.hudson.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 11, 2001
Tour of Duty 1 yrs 1 mo
Age 36
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail Terrorist attack
Weapon Aircraft; Passenger jet

Police Officer Dominick A. Pezzulo is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In NJ, 112 of 646 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 17.3% of this state's fallen. That is 17.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department, 53 of 60 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 88.3% of this agency's fallen.

Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department
53
of 60 officers
88.3% Illness
NJ — Statewide
112
of 646 officers
17.3% Illness
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dominick A. Pezzulo's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Dominick A. Pezzulo Compares

Age at Death
36
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.7 years
Years of Service
1.1
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.7 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Dominick A. Pezzulo is highlighted in Sep.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
186
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
182
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
353
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location