Cop from Holbrook hailed as hero for role in Times Square

To NYPD Mounted Police Officer Wayne Rhatigan, detecting and helping to foil the Times Square car bombing may have been "all in a day's work."

But Sunday night, the Holbrook resident was singled out as a hero for his actions. And he found himself having a beer with Mayor Michael Bloomberg at an elegant Times Square restaurant, as musicians played.

Bloomberg, just before he and other city officials dined at the Blue Fin with Rhatigan, stood outside with the hero police officer and his wife, Tinamarie.

"We're very lucky that Wayne and the vendor, Lance Ortman, who couldn't be here tonight, saw something and said something," said the mayor. T-shirt vendor Ortman alerted Rhatigan to the smoking sport utility vehicle.

Bloomberg added that President Barack Obama had sent his "personal" thanks to Rhatigan. The officer, who seemed uncomfortable with all the attention, said simply, "This is our job."

Rhatigan, 47, aboard his horse Miggs, was one of the first to respond to the bomb and to help evacuate the area. Reached at his home Sunday morning, Rhatigan said Saturday night's events haven't sunk in yet.

"It's all in a day's work," he said, adding that he was happy to be back home with his family. "It hasn't hit me yet."

Hours before his appearance with New York's mayor, Rhatigan had coached his 9-year-old daughter's lacrosse team to victory at a Police Athletic League sports complex in Holtsville.

Wearing NYPD lacrosse shorts, Rhatigan cheered as his daughter, Hailey, scored a goal in the 4-2 win. He did his best to ignore the reporters accompanying him but periodically answered a question.

Asked how he knew the vehicle in Times Square was suspicious, he said, "There was smoke coming out of it."

Asked how his police horse was doing, he said, "perfect. Got a bath last night."

Rhatigan, who has been on the force for 19 years and who helped out at Ground Zero during Sept. 11, 2001, grew up in Bethpage. He was assigned to the transit detail before becoming a mounted officer five years ago.

His 15-year-old son, Kyle, said his father had called him Saturday night to tell him what happened.

"I really didn't believe him at first," Kyle Rhatigan said. "I was scared and shocked at the same time."

Tinamarie Rhatigan said she worries about her husband "all the time," and described his contribution to defusing the incident as "gratifying."

"He did what he had to do," she said. "It was very quick, very fast. He was nervous himself, realizing that possibly something could be very wrong."

Meanwhile, Rhatigan's children consider it "pretty cool" that their dad helped to save people's lives.

"We all think he's a hero, too," his son said.

With Laura Rivera, Marc Beja and James Carbone