Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop and Public Safety Director James Shea today appointed three Jersey City police officers to the rank of Detective following their heroic actions during the shooting attack that targeted a Jewish deli in the city.

Mayor Fulop said he believes that the actions taken by Officers Kendric Jackson, Mariela Fernandez, and Raymond Sanchez prevented the attackers from doing additional harm.

“I firmly the immediate actions of these three officers who ran towards the gunfire when the first shots rang out, forced the two armed criminals to alter their initial plans and played a key role in keeping this tragedy from being larger than the four innocent lives lost that day,” Fulop said.

When the attack began, the three officers were on their assigned posts nearby as part of the police department’s crime-fighting force. When shots rang out, the police officers ran towards the scene and two of them – Officer Sanchez and Officer Fernandez – suffered non-life threatening gunshots.

“Between the bravery of our officers and the large-scale active shooter trainings we’ve recently had, our officers’ response stopped this situation from escalating dramatically,” said James Shea.

The mayor also recognized Detective Joseph Seals who was shot and killed by the gunmen in a nearby cemetery prior to shooting up the deli. Mayor Fulop said that Detective Seals’ diligence likely thwarted a larger plan for mass murder by the perpetrators.

JCPD Chief Michael Kelly commended his department for their response on that fateful day.

“They risked their lives to protect the public,” Kelly said. “To me, that speaks volumes about the makeup of this great department. I’ve never been more proud to be their Chief.”

(Photos provided by City of Jersey City)