Police Officer Patrick F. Whalen

Patrick F. Whalen

Police Officer Patrick Whalen was killed when a transformer exploded at the Proctor Theater at 53 S. Broadway in Yonkers.

Officer Whalen had parked his motorcycle in front of a theater when an explosion came without warning and threw slabs of sidewalk into the air, creating a massive hole in the sidewalk. An electrical transformer had shorted and blew up, and A 10-year-old girl had fallen into the burning hole.

Officer Whalen, running up the street, saw the child in the hole and immediately jumped in to rescue her. He handed the girl up to off-duty officers. A few seconds later, a second explosion occurred, virtually incinerating Officer Whalen, who was still in the hole. He died instantly.

Officer Whalen had served with the Yonkers Police Department for 20 years. He was survived by his wife, three daughters, son, mother, and brother.

In 1985, Fifty-one years later, Officer Whalen was posthumously awarded his agency's Medal of Honor. The award was presented to his great-nephew, who also served with the Yonkers Police Department.