30 Years Later, Legacy Of Murdered Cop From Wayne Lives On

WAYNE, NJ — Thirty years after his death, the legacy of Michael J. Buczek lives on in ways he could not ever have imagined.

Buczek grew up in Wayne and wanted to be a police officer. He was a township dispatcher for four months in in 1985 before joining the New York City Police Department's 34th Precinct in Washington Heights, which was one of New York City's most crime-ridden areas in the 1980s.

Buczek was murdered Oct. 18, 1988 when he and his partner attempted to arrest two men on a drug charge in an apartment building on West 161st Street. He chased after them. One of them turned around and fired shot, shooting Buczek in the chest. He died a short time later. He was 24.

Buczek was killed less than one hour after another officer, Detective Chris Hoban, was murdered in a separate incident.

"It's hard to believe that it’s been 30 years to the day since Michael and Chris were killed," said New York City Police Department Commission James O'Neill. "On that day our department and our city suffered two great losses."

Three suspects fled to the Dominican Republic. One later died in police custody. The other two were sentenced in 2003 to prison terms of 25 years to life.

Buczek's family, with the help of the New York City Police Department and volunteers, founded the Police Officer Michael Buczek Little League in 1989. Giving back to the community was something Buczek cared a great deal about.

Police officers, including many from the 34th Precinct, volunteer their time to coach the teams. The league is unique in that team jerseys do not feature the players' names on them. Instead, they have the names of NYPD officers who died in the line of duty.

Buczek also has a school, P.S. 48 P.O. Michael J. Buczek in Manhattan named after him.

Many officers, former players, and parents credit the league for helping to reduce the amount of crime in Washington Heights. More than 30 former league players have gone into law enforcement.

"I'm a firm believer that the little league has contributed to the reduction in violence in Washington Heights," said Sgt. John Moynihan in an ESPN story about the league. "There's such an important, integral bond between the police and the community."

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Michael J. Buczek — Courtesy of Mary Jo Buczek