Funeral services held for NYPD officer killed in Greenburgh wrong-way crash

GREENBURGH, N.Y. (WABC) -- Friends, family and fellow officers gathered Wednesday to bid a final farewell to NYPD detective Paul Duncan, 46, of Hartsdale, who was killed Friday on the Sprain Brook Parkway in Greenburgh when a vehicle going the wrong way hit his SUV.

His wake was held Wednesday morning at Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, with the funeral service afterwards.

Those who knew Duncan describe him as a father who knew how to sew his daughter's Halloween costumes and who could make pony tails. He was a dedicated husband, a man who was loved and will be missed by many.

"Everyone is mourning, but they are also celebrating," friend Diana Bromfield said. "They're celebrating his life in addition to mourning."

The NYPD detective was killed early Friday morning on his way to work on the Sprain Brook Parkway. He had just left his home in Hartsdale when, out of nowhere, a man driving the wrong way on the parkway and slammed into Duncan's SUV.

"He was like a brother to me," friend Devon Arnold said. "I was stunned when I saw it on the news. My brother called and said, you know who that was. I said, no, I didn't. And he told me, I broke down."

Words like remarkable, honorable and caring were used to describe Duncan.

His wife Rechelle spoke to reporters last week.

"He was thoughtful," she said. "He was disciplined."

The couple has a 13-year-old daughter, and many of her classmates came to pay their respects.

"He was the type of person that stood by your side if you ever needed anything," friend Paul Brown said. "And fun loving."

Duncan had 10 more months left with the department before he was set to retire. He grew up in Harlem, started his career in corrections, moved to transit and then joined the NYPD in 1998.

"No matter what happened, he always was smiling all the time," co-worker Latifa Reed said. "All the time. Great guy."

During the roughly two-hour funeral service, Duncan's wife and daughter both spoke.

The suspect, 20-year-old Efren Moreano, remains in custody at Westchester Medical Center.