Bernie Kerik, the former New York City police commissioner who was hailed as a hero after 9/11, has died at 69 years old.
His death was announced by FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday night, who wrote that Kerik “passed away after a private battle with illness.”
“Rest easy, Commissioner. Your watch has ended, but your impact will never fade,” Patel wrote.
Kerik gained national attention during the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, where he was frequently seen with then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Bernie Kerik speaks at the AOL BUILD Speaker Series, where he discusses his book “From Jailer to Jailed”, at AOL Studios in New York on April 6, 2015. (Mireya Acierto/Getty Images)
Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik at his office in 1 Police Plaza. (Budd Williams/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1955, Kerik dropped out of high school but later earned his GED before joining the U.S. Army.
After transitioning from civilian life, Kerik embarked on a law enforcement career, advancing to become head of the city’s Department of Correction. In 2000, Giuliani appointed him as the NYPD commissioner.
Fox News Digital’s Ronn Blitzer contributed to this report.
