A 39-year-old Bronx cop died Monday from a brain hemorrhage as he was putting on his uniform to hit the streets he loved to protect, officials said.
Freddie Jenkins Jr., who joined the Finest in 1996, died at 7:20 a.m. at the 40th Precinct in Mott Haven while dressing in the stationhouse’s locker room.
An autopsy showed Jenkins suffered a fatal brain hemorrhage probably brought on by hypertension and heart disease, said a spokeswoman for the city medical examiner.
Jenkins, who was brawny and stood about 5-foot-8, grew up on Colgate Avenue in Bronx and as a child dreamed of being a police officer, his father said.
Somber cops hung black bunting outside the 40th Precinct and lowered the flag to half-staff.
Deputy Inspector Christopher McCormack, commanding officer of the 40th Precinct, said a colleague found an unresponsive Jenkins on the floor of the locker room about 7 a.m. An ambulance was called, but he died 20 minutes later.
Jenkins had served as patrol officer at the precinct for 16 years and loved being out on the streets, McCormack said.
“He did a fantastic job – was an active guy in the command, not only with arrests, but also with the community,” McCormack said. “He was single, so he had the time to do that. He was involved with our Halloween parade and at Christmas, giving out gifts to kids.”
McCormack said it was nice to have a seasoned officer like Jenkins at the precinct when he took command a year ago.
“He was a veteran. He knew what his job was,” McCormack said. “He wasn’t one of those guys whose hand you had to hold.”
