Remembering 9/11

The Curious Intersection of the Paths of an NYPD Sgt. and a High School Student

As the first tower crashed to the ground, a plainclothes NYPD Detective-Sergeant found himself taking cover behind a vehicle as he was choking in a cloud of dust and debris. Inside a nearby church a handful of adults were watching the horror unfold outside. But it was the high school student among them, recently trained as an EMT, who left the safety of the church to go out and rescue the struggling man. What follows is an extraordinary story of two people working together to save others as they remain anonymous to one another. At the end of the day the men part ways; Sgt. Gerard “Jerry” Kane expressed his gratitude to the teen, Jonathan Stewart, offering him his business card. Their paths were destined to cross again.

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September 11, 2001

The terror attacks of 2001 are indelible memories for those who lived through them time, and even more etched into the psyche of those who were directly and indirectly impacted by the attacks at Ground Zero, the crashes of United Airlines flight 93 in Shanksville, PA; and American Airlines flight 77 at the Pentagon.

Detective/Sergeant Jerry Kane takes us back to that day when he was assigned to the Police Commissioner’s office. On the morning of September 11, 2001 he was detailed to pick up a dignitary from the airport. Over the police radio Sgt. Kane hears a flurry of radio traffic about an emergency at the World Trade Center, and then he gets a call from a fellow detective telling him there was an explosion at the World Trade Center and asks Kane to meet him at the scene. As Sgt. Kane is detoured to the World Trade Center, he hears a radio transmission from an NYPD Chief to the Operations and Control Center that he described as chilling. “Have Operations notify the Pentagon, the city is under attack,” recalled Kane.

Kane thought he was responding to an explosion – an accident of some sort. But in a few short minutes, everything changed. At 9:15 AM Sgt. Jerry Kane is at Ground Zero with other police, fire and EMS administrative personnel. They all know that there are hundreds of people in the building above them and on the streets below – but they also brace themselves, wondering if there will be more attacks from the skies. But for the moment they respond to the things that are within their reach and start to organize efforts on the ground, a response that will be monumental and historic. But as a group of officials are talking in the street, Jerry Kane’s attention is drawn to the sky. he hears the screaming of jet engines over head – this time it was the military. “Let me tell you something. When the Air Force showed up that was scary... I knew those guys had that part up there covered.”

Sgt. Kane reflected on the majesty of the Twin Towers as he stood in the street watching smoke pour from both buildings. No one knew at the time that neither structure would last through the morning. He sees people jumping from the buildings; horrific images that are etched in his brain to this day. He struggled to process all that was going on and what he could do about it. “It did occur to me at that moment, that the brain is only built to like take in so much data and I’m probably taking in more data than the brain can handle. And I decided that I was only going to really put a lot of brain power into anything I could put my hands on.” But knowing that he could not possibly help those in the distance, he knew he could help people on the street. “I can’t touch the planes, the jets, anybody up there a thousand feet above me… but… if you came in front of me and you were going the wrong way and I had to take you by the shoulders and direct you, turn you the right way, I could do that.” So, Sgt. Kane begins moving people out of harm’s way, and although he doesn’t know it, his efforts are time-critical as the South Tower will come crashing down in less than an hour.

By this time the world knows that America is under attack. Rescue efforts are underway in New York City while authorities are simultaneously tracking a number of flights, and particularly American 77 and United 93.

South Tower Collapses

Sgt. Kane continues pushing people from the area, and he finds himself about 150 feet from the base of the South Tower. At 9:59 AM, he hears thunder, the loudest noise he heard? in his life – the first tower is collapsing. “I thought I had 2 seconds, maybe 3, to run.” Kane takes cover behind an NYPD service vehicle. “Then the dust cloud just enveloped you and that was 150 million pounds of pulverized gypsum board and concrete and glass and there was other stuff that was like gravelly… of course, tons and tons of paper…” Kane was immersed in debris, but what caught his attention is the eerie silence that followed. “But now you went from the loudest noise ever, to the quietest, quiet ever… ask anybody that was there.”

Rescued from the Street

Jonathan Stewart is a recently-trained EMT and 17-year-old high school student who had received an alert that morning about the need for EMS personnel because of the World Trade Center emergency. Stewart was watching the collapse from inside St. Peter’s Catholic Church at Church and Barclay Streets which was the area that Sgt. Jerry Kane now found himself covered in a powdery-debris and struggling to breathe. Watching from the church windows also with other adults who had taken refuge in he church, Stewart notices the man in the suit and thought, ‘someone has to get that guy, he’s just laying out there.’ Stewart sprang into action and rushed outside to Kane, helping him to his feet and escorting from the street. Kane asks Stewart, ‘where are we going?’, to which Stewart responds, ‘a church.’ Kane has now transitioned from a debris-filled street scene where he thought he may die, to a peaceful sanctuary. “There’s something psychological about being inside a building, and being inside a Church that made me feel good.” But Kane cannot see, his eyes embedded with a flour-like substance, and he is still struggling to catch his breath. He reaches for holy water by the entrance and clears his eyes and throat. What might have seemed irreverent on any other day became acceptable – it was survival. And after all, the plainclothes NYPD sergeant also held the title of Retired Altar Boy, which he would leverage in the upcoming moments to enlist others to continue saving lives.

Now Rescued; Sergeant Starts Directing Efforts at Church

So now, Kane is back on his feet and in his words, he does what sergeants do – “tell people what to do whether they like it or not.’ And among his first orders to the handful of people in the church was to get water and strips of cloth to make filters so that people could wash away debris from their faces and allow them to breathe. Kane directs the adults, one nurse and one medic among them, to go out into the street and bring victims inside, cautioning them not to venture too far. He told them that if they found someone who was beyond help, to let them be and go on to the next person. It’s a practice known as triage – but in the moment it likely sounded harsh, especially to civilians. “I didn’t want them to feel guilty about it. You know, they’ve only got two hands each, and there’s only two of them and victims are coming in constantly, most of them though just needed what I did, which is water and an opportunity to catch a breath.”

Survival Not Sacrilege

But where to find resources inside a church? The former altar boy knew what to do. He knew he would find water, flower vases, cruets and chalices inside the sacristy where the priest prepares for mass. Said Kane, “… we were filling everything we could with water and getting it out to people. Getting it back, refilling it, getting it back out. I had a knife on me and I gave it to John and I said, ‘John, you see that cloth that covers the altar like that tablecloth…take that, cut that into strips, we’ll soak it in the water for people to tie on their face.”

But Jonathan Stewart is reluctant to do what this man who he just rescued from the street is directing them to do. “…I’m scared to rip stuff up, because they’re like holy garments that he gives me, but I’m still not realizing who he is...”, recalled Stewart. But as Kane continued to direct people, Stewart begins to realize that man was police officer. “…When he starts saying, ‘this is what we need to do’ and ‘this is what can be done’, people listened. You know, a 17-year-old says something, it doesn't make it in the air. Jerry said something, people move.” So Jonathan begins to cut cloth into strips to help persons who are bleeding and to make improvised face masks.

Kane reassured Jonathan that it was okay to shred the religious cloths, but he asserted himself as a former altar boy to punctuate his directive. Kane said to Jonathan, ‘I’m a retired altar boy, you can do it.’ “And I actually thought to myself, until I’m usurped, I am the ranking Catholic Authority in this church until somebody tells me otherwise,” remembered Kane. ?But the location of where they were in the midst of such carnage, was not lost in either of the men. Again, this was essentially a time of war, and that realization was quickly becoming evident to many. And perhaps at a later time, there could be a redemption for the adaptations that had to be made in the incipient moments of one of the most infamous days in American history.

Heroes Part Ways, For Now

Not even knowing each other’s names, Kane and Stewart continued working in unison. And after several hours and helping as many people as they could, they parted ways. Kane left his NYPD business card with the teen who saved him, and said, ‘keep in touch.’ Stewart tucked away the card which bore a smudged black thumbprint of the man whose name was on the card. Stewart deployed to a nearby bank building where he continued to work. Kane reported back to NYPD.

The World Changes

A lot happened during the time Det. Sgt Jerry Kane and Jonathan Stewart were working to help others inside St. Peter’s Church: The north tower collapsed; Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania; Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon; there were states of emergency, and an historical grounding of air travel. The lives of almost 3000 people were lost in the first day of the attacks. That evening, President George W. Bush addressed the nation: “The search is under way for those who are behind these evil acts. I’ve directed the full resources of our intelligence and law enforcement communities to find those responsible and to bring them to justice. We will make no distinction between the terrorists who committed these acts and those who harbor them.”[1]

The Redemption

The day before the terror attacks, Sgt. Jerry Kane’s aunt passed away. But because of the restrictions for travel in and out of New York City in the ensuing days, her funeral was delayed. But eventually her calling hours and services were held. Kane told APB Behind The Badge that it is customary in the Catholic religion for the family of the deceased to donate vestments, robes or other religious items to the home church of the deceased. Ordinarily those donations would have gone to his aunt’s church in Brooklyn. But Jerry’s cousins donated them to St. Peter’s because of the story that Jerry had shared with his family about how he directed others to tear up vestments at St. Peter’s on 9/11 to use as improvised bandages and breathing masks. Whenever the now-Retired Det. Sgt. Kane is in the neighborhood, he stops by St. Peters. He recalled his first visit after 9/11 when he ‘confessed’ to the priest that he was the one responsible for using the religious cloths. “You’re that guy!”, said the priest to Jerry, fondly remembering the conversation. The priest assured Kane that his actions were good. He recalls the priest telling him, “absolutely, you were okay!’. That’s why God put that stuff there…”

Their Paths Cross Again

When it came time for Jonathan Stewart to graduate from high school, a guidance counselor would help to reconnect Jonathan and Jerry. Jonathan had shared his 9/11 story with his guidance counselor who reached out to Sgt. Kane, asking if he would? write a letter in support of a Liberty Medal award nomination for Jonathan, the teen who saved Jerry on 9/11. Jerry jumped at the opportunity, and then, he was asked to speak to Jonathan’s graduation class. “I gave a two-minute speech telling them that I really admired them and I do admire them. I can only imagine what it was for these kids to go to school. They had to go through checkpoints and they could see the ruins smoldering down the block. I mean it’s just amazing.”

Life Changing Moment

For Jonathan it was one of those “life moments” he will never forget. The circumstances of how Jonathan Stewart and Det. Sgt Kane met on 9/11 had been the subject of some news coverage, but this was the first time when Jonathan’s family got to me “the guy” they had heard so much about. “He got to meet, at one time, everyone that I cared about, including friends and family…”, said Jonathan. “That kind of solidified his place in my life because there are certain people that you cannot write your life story without including them, because it wouldn't be accurate, it wouldn’t be complete, added Jonathan ”I can’t think about my high school graduation without mentioning him because again he's part of that story. I cannot mention a large part of my life because it circles back to our relationship,” he added.? Not that either of them sought out media attention, their story continued to draw public interest, which would result in a full scholarship for Jonathan’s continuing education.

Driven to Serve

After graduation Jonathan went to work for a consulting firm in Rye, New York. But like other members of his family, he was motivated to serve his country. But his weight was a problem. He dedicated the next year to losing the weight and getting in shape and he made his goal weight. He enlisted in the Navy and was soon given a date to ship out to boot camp. But Jonathan was concerned about leaving his mother by herself. But when the day came for Jonathan to board the bus for boot camp, Jerry Kane was there. “…Not only was Jerry there, it was Jerry's wife, Madeline was there. That was the first time I ever met her…”, said Jonathan. “I remember Madeline coming up to me and saying, ‘thank you for bringing my husband home’. All I can think about is, dude do not cry because you have to get on a bus with these guys and I have to spend the night with them.” But Jonathan knew that Jerry and Madeline were there as a support system for his mother. Jerry also gave Jonathan some phone cards so that he would be able to call home.

Fate

The story of Jonathan Stewart and Jerry Kane was borne out of tragedy. But the circumstances of how that relationship began is emblematic of their character; and their story continues today.

Jonathan Stewart remembers his first glimpse of the man on Barclay Street outside St. Peter’s Church, who thought he was dying, and who would later become a lifelong friend.

Det./Sgt. (Ret.) Jerry Kane said that, if not for the tragedy of 9/11, he and Jonathan Stewart would have never met. “Instead, not only do we meet, but he has such an impact on me”, said Kane. “He got me to safety which was important. It was important to be in a place of safety. The sooner you got into a place of safety, the sooner you could reorganize your thoughts and start to be a part of the solution and not part of the problem. When I was out on the street, I was part of the problem. Once I got inside the church and got myself together, I was part of the solution. John made that happen. Without Jonathan, that doesn’t happen. So, he had lot of guts… he was standing there with four adults - and who came and got me? The high school kid! He’s just a great guy.”

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Listen to the podcast Heroes of 9/11 featuring the voices of Jonathan Stewart and Detective/Sergeant (Ret.) Jerry Kane telling their story in their own words; a compelling telling of the story of one of our nation’s darkest days, and the parallel experiences of two men resolute in their own convictions to help others.

APB Cold Case and APB Behind the Badge are original productions of The Spawn Group, LLC. Podcast Host Mark Spawn is a retired police chief from Upstate New York; an experienced criminal investigator, author, law enforcement consultant, and trainer.

CONTACT US: [email protected]

[1] The White House; 9/11/2001.