Slain ATF Agent from Massapequa to Receive Medal of Valor

Three years after he was killed trying to stop a robbery at a Seaford pharmacy, ATF Special Agent John Capano, of Massapequa, will posthumously receive the Medal of Valor.

The 51-year-old Massapequa man was inside a Seaford pharmacy on Dec. 31, 2011, to pick up his father’s cancer medication when James McGoey, of Hampton Bays, announced a holdup.

Capano, a 23-year veteran of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, tried to stop the robbery and take the gun, earlier reports stated. An officer mistook Capano for the gunman and fired at him, according to the Nassau County District Attorney.

Hundreds of family, friends, and dignitaries gathered a week later to lay Capano to rest.

Capano will be posthumously honored by Vice President Joe Biden Wednesday in Washington, D.C., according to NBC New York.

The Medal of Valor is the highest honor awarded to public safety officers who risk their lives to protect others.

Photo: File

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