On June 24, Parks Commissioner Adrian Benepe joined Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Staten Island Borough President James Molinaro, State Senator Andrew Lanza, officers from the 71st Precinct, the Timoshenko family and members of the Midland Beach community to honor Police Officer Russel Timoshenko by renaming a field in his memory. Police Officer Russel Timoshenko, from the 71st Precinct in Brooklyn and a Staten Island resident, passed away in 2007 after being fatally shot while on duty in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The perpetrator used an illegal hand gun causing a nationwide outcry.