Richard Brooks

On June 30, Richard Brooks of Amityville drove his son to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis to see him sworn in for the class of 2008. It was one of the proudest moments of his life.

"He was so happy that his son had made it into the Naval Academy," said his wife Sylvia. "His father was in the Navy, and he was just beaming on I-day (induction day.)

Brooks, a lifelong Amityville resident and graduate of Amityville schools, died three weeks later on July 16 after being shot while working as a Babylon Town Bay Constable. He was 44 years old.

"If someone had told me that I would be in this position, I would never have believed it," said his wife, who recalled many long and sleepless nights worrying while her husband worked as a New York City Police Officer, first in one of Brooklyn’s busiest precincts, and then with the city’s emergency services unit. "I thought that after he retired, I didn’t have to worry anymore."

Harbor Master Tim Taylor presents the American flag to Richard Brook's widow, Sylvia, and son Richard Jr., 18, a U.S. Navy cadet at Annapolis. Photo by Jack Healy

Brooks was patrolling the beach as a Babylon Town Bay Constable when he was shot and killed shortly after 2 p.m. by a resident there, James Wilson, who was subsequently shot and killed by a New York State Park Police Officer. Brooks observed Wilson driving erratically along the Robert Moses Causeway and attempted to pull him over. Wilson sped away to his home at 79 Hawser Ave., Oak Beach, with Brooks in pursuit. Wilson then ran into the house, and, as Brooks called for back up as he stood in Wilson’s driveway, Wilson fired a shotgun, from a second-story window of his home, striking Brooks in the chest. Witnesses said that Wilson had been distraught prior to the incident, and had been drinking heavily at a local bar. Wilson’s wife, who was home at the time, heard the shot and called 9-1-1, believing that her husband had killed himself. According to news accounts, she went outside to notify Brooks and found him lying mortally wounded in the driveway.

Brooks' wife described him as a man who liked to keep busy and who always kept the concerns of his family and his community as a priority in his life.

"He was a good husband, good father and was always there for us," she said. "He was an easy-going, happy-go-lucky guy."

News of Brooks’ death quickly spread throughout the community in which he was born and raised. At the Amityville Fire Department, where Brooks served as a volunteer for 27 years, there was shock and disbelief.

Police and firefighters at the funeral of Richard Brooks made an impressive showing to honor the man who served in both capacities. Photo by Joe Turner

"He was great guy," said Amityville Fire Chief James Juliano. "He never got excited and always did for everybody."

Brooks, who was the friend of Juliano’s older brother, was serious about life but always managed to face it with warmth and humor. "He was a great story teller and I remember sitting with him in our back yard after dark laughing and telling stories."

The serious side of his nature gave Brooks a strong sense of personal commitment. After retiring from the New York City Police Department in February, 2002 where he had also spent long, agonizing shifts working at the site of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, Brooks got the job as a Bay Constable, serving one day a week. He also worked as a security guard at Brunswick Hospital Center and was a court officer for the Village of Amityville.

But his real love, said Juliano, was his work with the fire department’s heavy rescue unit, where he served as a leader.

"He always continued his training and had just returned from Baltimore," said Juliano. "But the best part of him was that he always brought back what he learned to the rest of the guys."

Juliano said that Brooks and another volunteer, Ron Fields made it a priority to ensure that the heavy rescue trucks were in top working order.

"Anyone who has ever been helped at the scene of a motor vehicle accident here in Amityville has Brooks and Fields to thank," said Juliano. "They made sure that these vehicles ran to their fullest and that it was able to get out there when it was needed."

Joe Slack, a resident of Amityville and a fellow Bay Constable, said Brooks' death was a personal loss to all of the men and women with whom he served.

"He was a good person and talking about him is very painful because it's like talking about family," said Slack.

The loss of Brooks is the first line of duty fatality for the Babylon Bay Constable unit, which enforces the navigation, conservation vehicle and traffic laws of New York State. "It's just impossible to believe that after more than 20 years working in the 'combat zone', he comes out here to be with the good people and this happens."

Paying tribute to a man who made service such an important part of his life, thousands gathered for his funeral on Wednesday, July 21. Members of Police Departments from throughout the New York-Metropolitan area were represented, as well as representatives from fire departments. The mourners filled Union Avenue before the funeral mass as St. Martin of Tours R.C. Church, spilled over into the parking lot and along Broadway, which was blocked off to traffic. He was buried in St. Charles Cemetery. The funeral was under the direction of Powell Funeral Home, Broadway, Amityville.

In addition to his wife of 20 years, Mr. Brooks is survived by his son Richard Jr., and his daughter; his parents Peter and Alice Brooks of Florida; his brother Peter of Amityville and his sisters, Alena Mach of Buffalo and Cynthia Sandmeier of Mississippi.

The Amityville Fire Department has set up a fund in Mr. Brooks’ name. Contributions can be send to the department at 55 West Oak Street, Amityville, NY 11701, c/o Brooks Family.