‘He exemplifi ed what an
offi cer should be’
The words that describe what Paterson Offi cer Tamby Yagan
meant to his family, his department and his community come
from those who knew him best: his brothers on the job
■ BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
Napkins, paper towels and tissues proved to be the essential gear
for the Paterson Police Department Traffic Unit officers to handle
this response scenario. Two weeks had passed since they lost al-
ways-respectful, ultra-devoted father, consummate professional,
jokester, community policing aficionado, always going-above-
and-beyond, positive, energetic, compassionate, squared-away
Local 1 member Tamby Yagan when his police cruiser crashed into
a parked vehicle on April 22.
As his brothers recalled how Tamby would always see the good
in people, how he always treated everybody equally, how he was
the first one to volunteer for any detail, how he wanted to make
sure everybody succeeded even if he had to sacrifice something,
each had to pause for a moment, find something to wipe tears
away, exhale and then find appropriate words to honor a man they
loved unconditionally. As a motorcycle officer, Tamby served as the
hub for a unit that is as tight as any in any department.
“Tamby humanized the police,” praised Rick Botbyl, a sergeant
with the traffic unit and member of Paterson SOA Local 1A. “He
had that ability to treat everybody as an equal. It’s hard to explain.
He just had ‘it.’ He was the kind of guy who wanted to get the job
done and wanted to get it done well.”
Tamby was renowned throughout Paterson for the way he
looked after the city’s homeless. When the call from dispatch came
to clear the panhandlers, the department looked for Yagan to take
the lead. He would move them along, write summonses when nec-
essary and bring them coffee and donuts or find other services to
help.
He knew most of the homeless by name. He knew their stories,
like the one who had become addicted to painkillers due to an in-
jury suffered during military service and lost his home and his fam-
ily because the pain led him to getting hooked on heroin. Tamby
took him to Wendy’s, took him to a shelter and told him, “I’m giving
you a second chance.”
“The love for Tamby is off the charts, and that is why everybody
is choking up,” extolled Paterson SOA President Mason Maher as
he reached to rip off a stream of paper towels. “I think if we could
have more officers who have a dedication to the communities they
serve on such a scale that he did, that would be better for law en-
forcement, as well as the community itself.”
Tamby Yagan with his beloved son Duny.
‘How many people he touched’
Traffic Unit Sergeant Rick Sharon heard from Yagan’s supervisor
and best friend Jose Rodriguez about the accident that took place
on Getty Avenue near St. Joseph’s University Medical Center in Pa-
terson. Yagan had been rushed to the ER, and Sharon rushed to get
there as soon as possible.
By the time he arrived, Tamby had expired. The hospital quick-
ly filled with Paterson officers. The St. Joseph’s staff also mustered
around Yagan. He had worked side jobs there doing security, and
many of the nurses and doctors knew him. So they gathered with
the officers. The NJ State PBA arrived with its clinical services team
to provide support for the family and officers. His death quickly re-
verberated throughout Paterson, the North Jersey Circassian com-
munity that loved him so much and beyond.
In one of the twists of irony that always seem to mark these trag-
edies, Yagan’s father Ibrahim had been killed in a hit-and-run auto
accident in 1995 when Tamby was 19. It was this incident that in-
spired Tamby to become the public servant who was loved by so
many.
“Tamby was the first one on site, and it scarred him for life,” re-
calls Blana Merza, Tamby’s older sister. “Since then, he dedicated
himself to helping others and making a difference. Because of all
CONTINUED ON PAGE 32
www.njcopsmagazine.com
■ MAY 2018 31