TOWN OF FISHKILL – Fishkill Police Chief Keith Dworkin has commended the actions of an officer in his department who went “above and beyond” his duties to help an elderly veteran last month, according to Police Lieutenant Paul Schettino. Officer William Bowers came to the aid of a Rhode Island veteran who was in town for a fellow veteran’s funeral in October and encountered unexpected difficulties while in Fishkill.
According to Lt. Schettino, US Navy veteran David Killian, a 75-year-old resident of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, had traveled to Fishkill to attend the funeral for a Navy shipmate. After the service, the weary veteran sought to get a hotel room in Fishkill for the night. Schettino said that Killian soon learned that the rooms in area hotels were nearly $300 per night, and the sailor was unable to afford the room and gas for the ride home the next day.
Schettino told Mid-Hudson News that Mr. Killian sought the assistance of the town police. The grieving veteran went to the Fishkill Police Department and asked if it would be okay for him to sleep in his car in the police department parking lot because he did not feel safe anywhere else.
Police Officer William Bowers learned of Mr. Killian’s plight and sprang into action, according to Schettino. Bowers reached out to a local hotel and explained Mr. Killian’s predicament to the manager. The hotel manager offered to rent a room at the discounted “government rate” in honor of Killian’s service. Schettino said that Bowers rented the room for the veteran and covered the expense out of his own pocket, out of appreciation for his sacrifices.
The veteran reached out to both Chief Dworkin and Lieutenant Schettino to express his gratitude for the efforts and generosity of Officer Bowers.
After hearing from Killian, Dworkin commended his officer, telling him “I am proud to have an officer of your caliber on our team. Your actions reflect favorably upon yourself and all of us in the Town of Fishkill Police Department,” adding “Keep up the good work!”
Bowers, Schettino says, comes from a military family and is a 21-year veteran of the Town of Fishkill Police Department. “This officer, like all of his colleagues, went above and beyond to help someone in need, like they do every day.” Schettino added, “This incredible act is typical of our officers, and the Chief and I are proud to have cops like Bowers in our ranks.”
