Cops Raise Money to Bury Unclaimed Fellow Officer

The body of officer Angel Brito lay in the morgue of Bellevue Hospital, where he worked, for two months until fellow officers finally claimed it yesterday. Brito, 49, had no family, so when he died in his East Village apartment of natural causes on November 4th, his body was sent to the hospital he had spent the last 14 years protecting.

The Post reports that for almost two months no one came to claim the body, so friends and fellow officer's decided to give him his final service. Fellow Bellevue officer Michael Gonzales said: "He didn't have any family and we refused to let him go to potter's field."

In addition to Brito's fellow officers, his childhood friend William Gomez, who was shocked when he found out about the unclaimed body, helped raise $1900 for the service that was held yesterday. "This poor man in the morgue and no one claims his body," said Gomez. "I thought of him and I saw one of my kids."

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By Robert Horan in News on January 14, 2010 12:30 PM

Comments [rss]

pencap75

Donnie Darko is sad

JacqueMehoff

that's very interesting.

I think he's not NYPD but HHC PD, they're non gun carrying peace officers.

I would think that may happen to me but it won't, my community will take care of me.

Wza

RIP

So sad.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

sad, glad finally his fellow officer put him to rest. how sad. RIP

VodioDo

The assumption that he was lonely is an interesting one. I think being alone and lonely are very different things and since Angel (awesome name) is no longer with us we are left with only our assumptions. For the heck of it I'm going to assume he wasn't lonely. RIP, Angel.

thefacts

For sure. Being alone is not at all the same as being lonely.

Just because he had no family doesn't mean that he had no friends, as exemplified by the fact that they are concerned enough to give him a funeral and burial.

Dirk

I'm happy his fellow officers stepped up and gave him a burial.

Though you would think the NYPD itself would have taken care of the guy.

Mr Mel

I wonder if the loneliness in his life could be attributed to the sadness of his job?

ProcedureTurn

I doubt it.

But an ealry death from lonliness is quite possible. Having a pet and family does statisitcally extend your life, directly or idirectly (lifestyle, etc.)

kazubes

What a sad thought to die alone like that and have no one

Clarice City

He found friends in the end- the hospital staff and his fellow officers. This is sad, but people who knew him cared enough to find him a eternal place of rest. If only this happened for more lost people.

Spirit of 76

Definitely sad. It's like those lines in When Harry Met Sally. "What if you live there your whole life and nothing ever happens to you. Then you die one of those meaningless New York deaths where nobody notices until two weeks later when the smell gets into the hallway."