Less than a week before New York and the world officially mark 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks, there is a new and permanent honor for a fallen NYPD officer who was only minutes away from retirement when planes hit the twin towers. A street corner at East 101st Street and Madison Ave. in East Harlem is now named “John William Perry” Way. Of the 23 NYPD officers killed on 9/11, Perry was the only one who was off-duty. (Image: NBC New York) Perry was at NYPD Headquarters at One Police Plaza, filling out his retirement papers, when he learned the first plane had hit the Trade Center’s North Tower. He stopped the retirement process, asked for his badge back and rushed to the scene. Perry’s last known act of bravery was helping a woman out of the South Tower. He died when the South Tower collapsed. “And yeah, it’s it’s been it’s been quite a heart-wrenching, emotional, yet satisfying experience. I I just I think it’s so cool that he’s he’s going to be a part of New York City forever, and he loved the city,” said Janice Perry-Montoya, Perry’s sister. Perry, who was 38, was assigned to the 40th Precinct in The Bronx. Before joining the force, Perry was already an immigration lawyer and had graduated from the NYU School of Law. He was preparing to pursue a full-time career as a medical malpractice attorney when the attacks happened. (Image: NBC New York) Perry was fluent in several languages, including Spanish, Swedish, Russian, French and Portuguese. He also served on the board of the New York Civil Liberties Union and volunteered as a legal adviser and translator. Perry was also a first lieutenant in the New York State Guard and volunteered with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Outside of work, the press release, he ran three marathons, completed a swim around Manhattan and appeared as an extra in Woody Allen films. (Image: NBC New York) The press release said Perry’s recovered NYPD shield is preserved in the collection of the National September 11 Memorial Museum. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less