A heroic Queens cop, NYPD Det. Wing “Sammy” Har, who once saved a soldier’s life while serving in the Army, received a surprise call from Jets cornerback Michael Carter II on Thursday. Carter announced that Har will be honored as this season’s official “Veteran of the Game.”
According to the New York Post, Har, who works in the borough’s robbery squad, was unexpectedly summoned to a meeting at the 109th precinct in Flushing for the exciting news.
“Thank you for your service. I appreciate everything you’re doing for the community, man,” Carter told Har via speakerphone. “It’s a privilege to honor you.”
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The 44-year-old cop, a Purple Heart recipient for his courageous service in Iraq, was momentarily overcome with emotion as he expressed his gratitude to the NFL player.
“Uh… I guess I’ll see you at the game?” he replied — prompting fellow police officers in the room to crack up and clap.
Har, a member of the New York Army National Guard’s 69th Infantry Regiment, was awarded a Purple Heart in 2005 for his bravery during an ambush in Iraq that killed two soldiers.
He also narrowly survived a deadly Humvee patrol in Baghdad that same year, which claimed the lives of fellow NYC soldiers Anthony Kalladeen and Hernando Rios.
In 2007, Har was deployed to Afghanistan, where he earned a Bronze Star with Valor for saving a Marine during an attack that killed three soldiers.
While on night patrol near Bela Baluk in October 2008, his armored Humvee hit an improvised explosive device, killing his fellow NYPD officer Deon Taylor.
The hero cop, who has served with the NYPD since January 2006, will be honored at a Jets game when the regular season begins next month.
During a timeout, Har will be introduced on the field and celebrated with a round of applause and a video tribute.
On Thursday, NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny praised Har as a standout officer who truly deserves the recognition and cheers.
“It’s a great thing the Jets are doing, they’ve had thousands of vets — it’s wonderful — and it’s great [Har] is also a Jet fan,” Kenny told The Post.
“It’s important because it shows not only are they cops 24 hours a day, seven days a week — but before they came on the job they were serving their country,” he said.
