Wayne Rhatigan

Wayne Rhatigan graduated BHS in 1981.  He played lacrosse for Fran McCall.  For his good humor, he was voted the Desi and Lucy Senior Superlative (along with Claire Paola) in the 1981 BHS Yearbook.  Wayne went on to serve as a police officer in the New York Police Department.  Eventually he served in the mounted division. 

On May 1, 2010 he was alerted to a suspicious Pathfinder parked in Times Square.  Wayne and his horse Miggs approached the vehicle and he could smell the gunpowder from a distance.  He immediately began to evacuate the crowded area and in doing so prevented a major terrorist operation in NYC.  The SUV was packed with explosives ready to detonate.  He was immediately called a hero by Mayor Michael Bloomberg who commended the fast action taken by Wayne and by President Obama who called him to personally thank him for his quick thinking.  Typical of Wayne, he said it was “just what we do,” when asked about his thought process.  He talked about the years of training that prepare NYPD officers for situations like this and he thanked his many partners who assisted with the evacuation.  Wayne’s many interviews and television appearances led to an acting career, often playing a police officer.  Wayne has subsequently retired from the NYPD and is now the proprietor of his own successful irrigation company.

Wayne has been married to Tinamarie for 21 years and they have three children- Kyle, Dylan and Haley.