May 30, 2025 07:38 AM IST
Bernard Kerik, also referred to as Bernie, served in law enforcement and national security for more than 40 years.
Bernard B. Kerik, who served as the 40th Police Commissioner of New York City, died at the age of 69 on Thursday after battling illness. Kerik’s passing was announced on X by FBI director Kash Patel.
Kerik was hailed as a hero for his supervision of the New York police department’s response to 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
“Today, we mourn the loss of Bernard B. Kerik, a warrior, a patriot, and one of the most courageous public servants this country has ever known. Bernie passed away tragically on May 29, 2025, after a private battle with illness,” Patel wrote on X.
Who was Bernard Kerik?
Bernard Kerik, aka Bernie Kerik, who served in law enforcement and national security for more than 40 years, also fell from grace when he pleaded guilty to ethics violations and tax fraud. He even served three years in federal prison for these charges until President Donald Trump pardoned him in 2020, a CNN report said.
The FBI director hailed Kerik’s leadership of the police department with “strength and resolve” in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, lauding him for “guiding the NYPD through one of the darkest chapters in our nation’s history”.
Kerik was decorated over 100 times for his service, having rescued victims from burning buildings, survived assassination bids and having brought to justice some of the world’s most dangerous criminals.
“His legacy is not just in the medals or the titles, but in the lives he saved, the city he helped rebuild, and the country he served with honor,” FBI director Patel said.
Patel said that Kerik’s watch might have ended, but his impact “will never fade”.
