NYPD Officer Who Collapsed And Died Worked At WTC Site

January 29, 2006
The police officer who collapsed and died during a pursuit Friday night, reportedly spent a lot of time at the World Trade Center Site.
While the cause of death is still unclear, Kevin Lee's family members told the Daily News they fear he may have gotten sick because of the long hours he worked at the site after September 11th.
The Medical Examiner is working to determine the cause of death. Officer Lee collapsed while he and his partner were chasing three men on the Upper East Side wanted for stealing a laptop from a Lexington Avenue store.
Early reports suggested that Lee suffered a heart attack, but the hospital did not confirm that information.
Lorenzo Walter, 18, and 19-year-old Julio Marquez were arrested Friday night, Rico Banks, 19, surrendered to police Satruday. All three men face robbery charges.
Police say Lee struggled with one of the men right before he collapsed.
Lee, a 10-year veteran of the NYPD and a member of the department's Grand Larceny Unit, was rushed to Lenox Hill Hospital where he was pronounced dead. He lived in the Bronx and is survived by a wife and 6-year-old son.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg spoke with Lee's mother who told him that being an officer was something her son always wanted.
"All his life, all he wanted to do was be a cop. In high school there was some kind of a program where he could study what police offers do. It's all he ever talked about. He attended John Jay College and decided what her really wanted to do is be a cop."
Police officer Lee was the second officer to collapse during a pursuit this year. Earlier this month, police officer Francis Hennessey collapsed and died from a brain aneurysm while on duty.