Reflections on True Love: An Interview With Patti Ann McDonald

NYPD Detective Steven McDonald died on Jan. 10. In the following days, his life was commemorated throughout our nation and in places around the world for his advocacy of forgiveness and reconciliation. McDonald lived for more than 30 years as a quadriplegic, after being shot in the line of duty at age 29 by a teenage assailant in Central Park. His wife, Patti Ann, was 23 at the time of the shooting, and she was three months pregnant with their son, Conor. At Conor’s baptism, McDonald wrote of the young man who shot him in a statement read by Patti Ann, “I forgive him and hope that he can find peace and purpose in his life.” This interview, conducted on behalf of The Christophers, and published here with permission, took place two weeks after Steven McDonald’s death.