Police Officer Didarul Islam Posthumously Promoted to Detective First Grade at Funeral Service

Thousands of police officers from across the New York metropolitan area and beyond gathered at the Parkchester Jame Masjid on Virginia Avenue on Thursday, July 31, to pay their respects and say goodbye to slain Police Officer Didarul Islam, 36, a Bangladeshi American immigrant, father of two, with another baby on the way, who was promoted to detective first grade by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch during the service.

As reported, police said Islam was one of four people killed by gunman, Shane Tamura, 27, from Las Vegas who carried out the killings using an assault rifle which he carried inside 345 Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan on Monday, July 28, and who reportedly had mental health issues. Police said Tamura later turned the gun on himself and also died. Islam’s body had been transferred from Midtown to Parkchester on Tuesday, July 29, as reported, as New Yorkers reacted to the shocking events and Gov. Kathy Hochul and others called again for a nationwide ban on assault rifles.

On Thursday, members of the Bangladeshi community from Parkchester, Norwood, and elsewhere joined thousands of other residents as police officers flooded the surrounding streets of Islam’s local mosque, and several NYC Department of Sanitation (DSNY) trucks blocked nearby intersections. Tisch had previously served as DSNY Commissioner.

In addition to Tisch, elected officials in attendance included Hochul, NYC Mayor Eric Adams, Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark, NYC Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), who represents parts of the West Bronx and northern Manhattan, and Congressman Ritchie Torres (NY-15), who represents a large section of The Bronx stretching from the northwest to the south.

Also seen were Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, and City Councilman Dr. Yousef Salaam (C.D 9) who represents parts of Harlem and is one of the Exonerated Five having spent between several years behind bars for a crime he did not commit.

Addressing the congregation, Hochul said in part, “Today our hearts are broken. The dam is searing.” Referring to Islam’s relatives, she said, “They’re a family that expected to see their beloved son, husband, father for many more dinners, birthdays and life celebrations, but because of a madman who traveled a thousand miles with such evil in his heart to come and destroy all that is good about New York City.”

For his part, the mayor, a former police officer, said in part, “This murder and the murder of others who were in the building, it cut me to my core. I spent my entire life defending and fighting for innocent people of this city, and each death I take personal because as a mayor, I am responsible for the safety of New Yorkers.”

For her part, Tisch said of Islam, “He stepped into a new land and chose to become part of its promise to believe in its dream, and he did believe in the American dream, not as something handed down, but as something built with your own hands.”

She continued, “Didarul Islam came to this country as an immigrant with no guarantees, only the hope that hard work, that humility, that purpose might lead him somewhere meaningful and it did. He earned the respect of his peers. He believed in this department. With only four years on the job, he did the work of a cop with twice that time, and in a command where the work never slowed.”

The commissioner said in addition to his work assignment in Midtown Manhattan on the day he was killed, Islam had been on duty the previous day at the Bronx Dominican Day Parade, a day which proved very challenging for the NYPD due to several shootings reported after the parade. Such was the number of violent incidents on the day, when contacted by Norwood News on Monday, the NYPD press office said they had to be provided with a specific time and location before they could share details of each incident.

At times sounding almost defiant on Islam’s behalf in the wake of Monday’s tragedy, Tisch added, “But no matter what this job threw at him, you could count on Didar to get it done, and to get it done right, and though his journey was cut too short, the way he lived his job, with steadiness, with heart, with conviction, it reflected everything this title represents. So, today, it is my honor and my great privilege to promote Police Officer Didarul Islam to Detective First Grade.”

The congregation applauded as NYPD personnel rose to their feet. Tisch was later seen embracing one of Islam’s mourning family members. Islam’s brother-in-law, Police Officer Kamrul Hasan, who called Islam his “protector” and “best friend,” shared some memories to demonstrate their solidarity and Islam’s strength of character. “Anything, everything anybody needed, anything, they come to us,” he said. “He was helping everybody.” Hasan concluded, “On behalf of our whole family, I would like to thank everybody for coming here and staying with us and being here for us.”

In addition to public statements already made by a number of elected officials including the mayor and governor, other elected officials had also shared their reaction to the tragedy. Clark lamented what she called “yet another act of senseless gun violence with a high-powered weapon brought to the city by an allegedly mentally disturbed man.”

The district attorney added in part of Islam, “My heart goes out to his pregnant wife, sons, the members of the NYPD, and the families of all the victims. This incident is a reason I urge and advocate for mental health services in our city!”

On Tuesday, Gibson had offered her condolences and paid tribute to Islam, writing, “On behalf of our Borough, we extend our deepest condolences and prayers to the four victims of yesterday’s horrific shooting in Midtown, including one of our own, decorated Police Officer Didarul Islam of the 47th Precinct.”