Anthony Varvaro, a former Major League pitcher, was killed in a car crash Sunday morning on his way to work at the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony in Manhattan.
Varvaro retired from baseball in 2016 to become a police officer in the New York City area.
The 37-year-old was an officer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He played baseball at St. John's before a six-year career as a relief pitcher with the Seattle Mariners, Atlanta Braves and Boston Red Sox.
Port Authority officials said Varvaro became a police officer in December 2016 and was assigned to patrol for nearly five years before transferring to the Port Authority Police Academy to become an instructor.