'Local Hero' award for Holbrook cop who cleared Times Square

New York Police Officer Wayne Rhatigan was honored Tuesday morning with a "Local Hero" award by the Suffolk County Legislature for evacuating Times Square after a vendor spotted a smoking sport utility vehicle there.

Rhatigan, 47, of Holbrook, was given the award by Presiding Officer William Lindsay.

"We all owe him a huge debt of thanks for his quick action," said Lindsay (D-Holbrook).

The night of the attempted bombing May 1, "I was in the city with my wife just a few blocks away, so I owe him personal thanks," Lindsay said. "He probably saved thousands of lives."

Rhatigan started an evacuation of Times Square after a street vendor alerted him to the smoking sport utility vehicle, which was later found to be packed with explosives.

Rhatigan's wife, Tinamarie, 44, and his parents were with him as he accepted the award.

"Will my taxes go down?" Rhatigan joked to legislators. Lindsay joked back that he'd pass on his request to the assessor's office.