A street dedication was held at the 69th Precinct stationhouse, at 9720 Foster Avenue, on Thursday, October 10th, in honor of one of New York’s Finest – Police Officer Cecil Frank Sledge who was killed in the line of duty on January 28, 1980.
The street near the precinct was dedicated to the fallen hero and named “Police Officer Cecil Frank Sledge Avenue” during a heartfelt ceremony attended by members of Sledge’s family and the NYPD, including Commanding Officer Captain Dion Hinds and Brooklyn South Chief Charles McEvoy.
Officer Sledge, a 12-year veteran of the NYPD who earned many awards and honors, was making a traffic stop at Flatlands Avenue and East 78th Street when he was shot and tragically dragged by a car to his death. He was posthumously given the NYPD’s highest award, the Medal of Honor.
The 69th Precinct said, “We honor the legacy of Police Officer Cecil Frank Sledge as we dedicate this street in his memory. Forty-four years may have passed, but his bravery and dedication remain a guiding light in our community. We are forever thankful and will never forget.”
In 1984, a playground on East 95th Street and Avenue L was renamed Sledge Playground in memory of the beloved officer.
On the 40th anniversary of Sledge’s death, a rededication ceremony was held at the precinct in his memory (see “Fallen Officer Remembered,” Canarsie Courier, January 30, 2020).
Photos by Baqir Ahmad
