By Brian Zanzonico
"Was he a family man? That makes it worse," Peterson said Monday afternoon as he waited for his children outside Dutch Broadway School, where one of Stewart's two children is a first-grade student.
Stewart, 35, was in East Flatbush, Brooklyn, early Monday morning when, according to police, he and his partner, in an unmarked car, chased a driver who sped through a red light. When Stewart and officer Paul Lipka caught up to the 1990 Infiniti and pulled up next to the driver's side window, the driver of the Infiniti, Allen Cameron, 27, allegedly fired at least five shots through the passenger window of the officers' car, missing Lipka but hitting Stewart in his left side, police said.
Not knowing he was injured, Stewart remained behind the wheel as the officers cornered the Infiniti on East 21st Street. There, according to police, Cameron got out of his car, and he and the officers exchanged gunfire before he managed to escape. Cameron was arrested nearby, at his girlfriend's Ocean Avenue apartment, at 8:30 a.m. Police said the murder weapon was found outside the apartment building. Stewart died of his wounds just before 9 a.m.
As parents descended on Dutch Broadway School to pick up their children just hours after the shooting, many were still unaware of Stewart's death. One parent, who declined to be identified, wondered how the students would handle the tragic news that their classmate's father was killed.
"It's going to be difficult for the poor teachers to have to explain what happened to the kids, but you can't pretend it didn't happen," the parent said. "There's going to be talk among the students. Hopefully the parents will answer any questions the kids have before tomorrow."
Emily Montel, waiting in her idling SUV on Dutch Broadway for her daughter, had seen an early news report that said the officer was from Elmont, but she didn't realize he was from the Dutch Broadway section. "I haven't seen a photo of him, and I pray it's someone I don't know," she said.
Elmont Superintendent Al Harper would not elaborate on the school's plan to address the situation, but said the district was saddened by the news. "It's a terrible, terrible tragedy for the entire Elmont community, and our hearts go out to the officer's family," he said.
Assemblyman Tom Alfano said in a statement: "Officer Stewart is a hero to the Elmont community. His life stands as an example of his service to law enforcement and his love for his family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Stewarts at this very trying time."
According to the NYPD, Stewart was the first officer killed in the line of duty in 2005.
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