Nassau police officer who died in line of duty remembered 12 years after being shot

More than 100 police officers gathered Wednesday off the Cross Island Parkway at the Queens border, where 12 years ago, Nassau County Police Officer Arthur "Artie" Lopez, 29, of Babylon, was fatally shot during a traffic stop.

Lopez’s family and former colleagues came to fulfill their promise not to forget the fallen emergency services officer who was killed Oct. 23, 2012, just south of Jamaica Avenue in Bellerose.

Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, who was leading the department's Intelligence bureau the night of the shooting, said the department needed to maintain the annual remembrance of Lopez to preserve his memory and honor his family.

"We use the words, ‘never forget,’ but we need to make it mean something. We made a promise to stand by that promise and never forget the victims and honor those heroes," Ryder said.

The department honored Lopez with a memorial at the site of the shooting, including the Nassau County pipes and drum band and a helicopter flyover during a moment of silence Wednesday morning.

Lopez’s mother Mirella and his sister Charo returned to attend this year’s memorial after moving to Florida.

"It’s always surreal to come back and it feels like yesterday even though 12 years is a long span," Charo Lopez said. "But it’s beautiful to see everyone loved my brother so much. It’s even more amazing to see how the community that he worked for still comes together for everybody."

The death marks one of 48 officers killed in the line of duty in the department’s history, Nassau County police said.

Lopez had stopped Darrell Fuller, of Queens, at Jamaica and 241st Street after Fuller had fled a crash. Fuller, who was armed and on parole for an attempted murder conviction, opened fire as Lopez approached his car.

Fuller then carjacked and killed Raymond Facey, 58, of Brooklyn, who had pulled over off the Cross Island Parkway.

The shooting launched a search and Fuller was later found in Queens after staging his own shooting to appear to be a victim, prosecutors said. He was convicted of both murders and served seven years of his sentence before he died in prison from an illness.

Lopez was killed just days before his 30th birthday and was remembered by colleagues for his constant smile.

"He took a Christmas tour from me so I could go home and spend time with my kids, because he hadn't had any children of his own at that time," retired Emergency Services Officer Keith Blum said at the ceremony. "And, you know, he never was given that time to create his own family."

Blum said the department still looks out for Lopez’s family and his mother, who he refers to as "Mama Lopez." Both he and Lopez’s mother held back tears as they marked the anniversary.

"After 12 years, I feel so proud to be with everybody," Lopez’s mother said. "I'm very proud my son. He was a good son. A very good son."

Lopez’s retired partner, Clarence Hudson, quietly marked the anniversary hugging friends and colleagues.

"I wish we didn’t have to be here and it’s meaningful everyone comes to remember," Hudson said. "He was not only a good hard working and motivated cop, he was a great person as well and also my friend."

Nassau PBA president Tommy Shevlin said in a statement: “As we remember Officer Arthur "Artie" Lopez, we are reminded of our responsibilities to one another and to the communities we serve. The phrase never forget serves as a powerful reminder that while time may pass, the spirit of those we honor remains alive in our hearts and actions."

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.