By Police1 Staff
LONG ISLAND, N.Y. — A retired NYPD captain who was one of the first responders to reach Ground Zero during the 9/11 terrorist attacks was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Retired captain Doug Greenwood, 61, was found dead in a park near his home late Tuesday, the New York Daily News reports. Greenwood endured a long battle with lung disease following the attacks, which rendered him unable to work for the NYPD, according to The Epoch Times.
Greenwood worked 40 consecutive days at Ground Zero following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He spent hours recovering bodies and other evidence at the scene.
For the last 10 years, the former officer struggled with his lung disease despite have surgery, and had trouble with painful breathing. The exposure to synthetic dust and toxins forced him to retire after 20 years in the NYPD.