An ex-Army paratrooper once convicted of gun possession is hoping the judge who imprisoned him gives him a unique Veterans Day present this week – the chance to become the NYPD’s first felon-turned-cop.
Osvaldo Hernandez, 26, earned numerous medals and citations while fighting in Afghanistan – but his November 2002 arrest for carrying an illegal gun has so far thwarted his dreams of joining the NYPD.
Felons are barred from legally carrying guns, and therefore barred from becoming cops.
If the Queens judge restores Hernandez’s right to carry a gun – as well-placed sources say is expected – it would pave the way for what experts believe would be the first time a felon could be admitted to the NYPD.
In an interview with The Post yesterday, Hernandez said he would plead before the judge, “Give me a second chance!”
Hernandez, who was sentenced to a year in prison for gun possession in September 2003, wound up spending eight months behind bars at Rikers Island before joining the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, where he became a highly decorated soldier.
After his Army discharge earlier this year, he took the NYPD entrance exam – and passed with a 93.
But he can’t go any further – at least until possibly Thursday, when Queens Supreme Court Justice Henry Kron, who sentenced Hernandez to a year’s imprisonment, is expected to issue a legal writ restoring his right to be able to carry a gun, sources said.
Still, any decision on whether Hernandez joins the force rests with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, a former Marine himself who the veteran hopes will consider his distinguished war service, as well.
Hernandez also is expected to personally tell Kron how he has drastically turned his life around since his bust for driving around with a loaded .380 semiautomatic and beg the court’s forgiveness.
“The drive to be a New York City police officer stems from a desire to serve my community in the way I have served my country. I want to help those in need and make a positive change in my hometown, New York City,” Hernandez has written the court.
Hernandez’s bid has been championed by his own “band of brothers” – his lawyer, Jim Harmon, a former Manhattan assistant district attorney, and Randy Jugensen, a retired first-grade NYPD detective, both of whom were combat paratroopers in the Vietnam and Korean wars, respectively.