February 17, 2011
By Staff Reporter
27-year-old McNaughton, who served as a U.S. army Staff Sergeant in the Army reserves, was killed last Tuesday after a sniper shot him as he guarded prisoners. The attack took place at Camp Victory, outside Baghdad.
“I’m proud of my son, and proud of what he did,” said his father, William McNaughton, who recently retired as a police officer with the NYPD. Speaking at a press conference outside their home in Centereach, Long Island, his father said McNaughton “did his job without question.”
“James McNaughton made our city safe as a police officer and gave his life defending our country,” said Mayor Bloomberg, announcing his death.
“He comes from a family dedicated to protecting our city and protecting the freedoms we enjoy every day. I would like to convey my condolences to his friends and family as we mourn the death of this young hero.”
“He embodied the motto of the NYPD: Fidelis ad Mortem, faithful until death,” said Police Commissioner Ray Kelly in a statement.
“Officer McNaughton’s service to the Police Department was in his blood, with both parents and his fianc