Rockland to honor slain Nyack police officers, Brinks guard from 1981 robbery Oct. 20

NYACK — Hundreds will line the entrance to the New York State Thruway on Oct. 20 to remember two police officers and a security guard murdered during the 1981 Brinks robbery .

The 43rd annual ceremony honors Nyack police Sgt. Edward O'Grady, Officer Waverly "Chipper" Brown, and Brinks security guard Peter Paige.

What happened during the 1981 Brinks robbery?

On Oct. 20, 1981, a gang of self-described revolutionaries killed Paige and seriously wounded his partner, Joseph Trombino, outside the Nanuet National Bank at the Nanuet Mall. The perpetrators stole $1.6 million from a Brinks armored truck.

Less than an hour later as police searched for the robbers, Nyack officers were stopping vehicles at a Thruway entrance roadblock. While police were questioning drivers, gunmen jumped out from the back of a U-Haul. They killed O'Grady and Brown, wounding Detective Arthur Keenan and injuring Officer Brian Lennon.

The 1981 Brinks robbers were called the Family and included members of the Black Liberation Army, anti-Vietnam War and civil rights activists from the 1960s and 1970s, as well as known criminals. Some of the gang members robbed multiple armored cars in the region.

A joint terrorism task force with the FBI and local police tracked down the individuals who robbed the Rockland Brinks armored car, as well as other financial institutions and armored cars in the region. Dozens of arrests and convictions followed.

Of interest: Murdered police officers from Brinks robbery to receive memorial honor before anniversary

What to know about the Oct. 20 Brinks Memorial on NYS Thruway

The ceremony — on Mountainview Avenue at the pocket park with a stone memorial, flags, and granite bench — starts at 4 p.m., the same time the shootings occurred on Oct. 20, 1981. The state closes the Thruway exit east for the ceremony.

The keynote speaker will be Haverstraw Town Police Chief John Gould, who became chief a few months ago after nearly two decades as an officer.

The usually hour-long ceremony draws hundreds of people, including police officers, family, and residents to the site off Route 59. The event features a police honor guard, a wreath-laying, the playing of "Taps," a rifle salute, pipe and drums, and singing of the national anthem and God Bless America.

Steve Lieberman covers government, breaking news, courts, police, and investigations. Reach him at slieberm@lohud.com Twitter: @lohudlegal

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This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland to honor slain Nyack police officers, Brinks guard from 1981 robbery Oct. 20