Nyack memorial service marks 43 years since fatal Brinks armored truck robbery
The tragedy unfolded when a gang of self-described revolutionaries opened fire outside the Nanuet National Bank at the Nanuet Mall.
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A memorial ceremony was held in Nyack Sunday to mark 43 years since the Brinks armored truck robbery that resulted in the death of two Nyack police officers and a security guard.
Two other law enforcement officers were also wounded in the 1981 heist.
In their honor, this year's annual memorial ceremony was held on Mountainview Avenue near the entrance to the New York State Thruway.
The tragedy unfolded when a gang of self-described revolutionaries opened fire outside the Nanuet National Bank at the Nanuet Mall. They stole $1.6 million from a Brinks armored truck and killed security guard Peter Paige.
In the aftermath, police set up a roadblock at a Thruway entrance in Nyack.
Nyack Police Sgt. Edward O'grady and Police Officer Waverly Brown were shot and killed when gunmen jumped out of a U-haul truck at the roadblock. Two other law enforcement officers were wounded.
Attendees of the memorial service say they will never forget the lives lost and the names of those forever impacted by the crime that will forever be ingrained in both local and national history.
"The sacrifice that these two Nyack police officers made was unusual for Rockland County. It changed the way people thought of the safety of the environment here in Rockland County," said Undersheriff Robert Van Cura, of the Rockland County Sheriff's Office.
