Body Of Slain NYPD Officer Back In Hudson Valley [VIDEO]

YORKTOWN, NY — The body of slain NYPD Officer Brian Mulkeen was returned to Orange County Monday via a motorcade on the state Thruway. Mulkeen, who was living in Yorktown Heights but grew up in Orange County and began his career as a Town of Tuxedo Police Department dispatcher, was shot and killed Sunday on duty in the Bronx.

Mulkeen, 33, was a track-and-field athlete at Monroe-Woodbury High School, the Times Herald-Record said.

Mulkeen's girlfriend, with whom he lives in Yorktown Heights, is an NYPD officer in the 44th precinct, police said.

Orange County Executive Steven M. Neuhaus said Mulkeen dedicated his life to law enforcement and took great pride in wearing the badge.

"This tragedy serves as another reminder that every day our police officers put their lives at risk to serve and protect us," he said.

"I ask Orange County residents to keep Officer Mulkeen and his family in their thoughts and prayers," Neuhaus said in a prepared statement.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo offered his deepest sympathies to Mulkeen's family and loved ones.

"At 33, Officer Mulkeen was taken far, far too early from his family and from the city he sacrificed everything to protect," he said in a press release.

"He is the embodiment of bravery and a true New York hero," Cuomo said.

The NY Police and Fire Widows' & Children's Benefit Fund, also known as Answer the Call, will provide Mulkeen's family with $25,000 to assist with any immediate expenses.

"We send our deepest condolences to Officer Brian Mulkeen's family and the entire NYPD Community," said Lauren Profeta, executive director of Answer the Call.

The organization "vows to honor Officer Mulkeen by helping those he loved the most — his family," she said. "His bravery, heroism and service to our city will never be forgotten."

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