The Carnegie Hero Fund, together with the Irvington and Mount Pleasant Police Departments, are pleased to announce that the Carnegie Medal has been awarded to Irvington Police Officer Arcangelo Liberatore for his actions to save a child from a coyote attack.
Officer Liberatore, while off-duty, rescued a 5-year-old girl from an attacking coyote on April 29, 2018, in Thornwood, N.Y. The young girls was playing in a park with her brother and mother when a rabid coyote approached them and bit Natalia’s arm, latching onto it. The coyote dragged Natalia to the ground, where her mother attempted to fight it off. Officer Liberatore was at the playground with his family when he heard screams. He ran to the girls, grabbed the coyote, and pinned it to the ground. It released the girl, whose mother took her to safety. Liberatore struggled to restrain the aggressive coyote, which attempted to bite him for several minutes. Police arrived and shot and killed the coyote. A bite wound to girl’s arm required sutures. Officer Liberatore sustained scratches to his hand. Both of them were treated for rabies and recovered.
Eric Zahren and Jewels Phraner from the Carnegie Hero Fund presented the Carnegie Medal at a ceremony held in Irvington on July 19, 2019. Congratulations to Officer Liberatore!