Mourn CO Murdered on Street
Farewell to 'A Good Soul'

By MIA GOLDBERG

Correction Officer Kenneth Duncan worked for 10 years at the Manhattan Detention Center, a place where the threat of violence was ever-present. Sadly, that violence found him on the street where he lived early on the morning of April 22, when he was shot and killed outside of his East Flatbush home during an attempted robbery of his motorcycle.

The Chief-Leader/Adrienne Haywood-James A FINAL HONOR: Fellow Correction Officers carry the casket bearing the body of Kenneth Duncan, who was murdered outside his home by a man trying to steal his motorcycle.

'Job Well Done'

On April 29, more than 1,000 Correction Officers, friends and family members, including his son, 18; daughter, 16; mother, sister and four half-brothers attended Mr. Duncan's funeral at the New Life Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church in Brooklyn. Despite the circumstances, the mood was more celebratory than somber.

"Please stand up and give Kenny a round of applause," said Imam Umar Abdul-Jalil, executive director of Ministerial Services for the Department of Correction. "Job well done ... He loved his family, he loved his co-workers, and he was a credit to his profession ... job well done."

The Chief-Leader/Adrienne Haywood-James 'WE'LL BE THERE FOR YOU': Correction Officers Benevolent Association President Norman Seabrook tells Ashley Duncan that her father's colleagues will try to fill some of the void left by his death.

The shooting occurred while Mr. Duncan and a friend were working on their motorcycles in Mr. Duncan's garage. According to police reports, two men, at least one of whom was armed, asked if the motorcycles were for sale. When Mr. Duncan said no, one of the men replied, "Maybe we'll take them for free," and drew a gun. Officer Duncan got his off-duty weapon and identified himself as a Correction Officer. The suspect fired once, hitting CO Duncan in the face. He returned fire, but did not hit either man. By the time help arrived, Mr. Duncan was unconscious. He was brought to Brookdale Hospital and pronounced dead at 3:38 a.m.

No arrests have been made in the case.

At the funeral, Correction Commissioner Martin F. Horn, Mr. Duncan's commanding officer, Warden George Okada, and Imam Umar all emphasized Mr. Duncan's generosity towards his colleagues.

'Righteous and Kind'

"There's not one person who knew him that couldn't tell you a story about how Kenny gave them advice, whether it was fixing cars or a toothache ... and the thing about it is he was always right," said Mr. Okada. "He was a righteous person with a good, kind soul."

Officer Duncan's death was felt not just by those with whom he worked inside the prison, said Imam Umar. "I went into the facility the day after Kenny [died] and I was speaking to one of the inmates, a grown man - and he cried," he said. He recounted the story of another prisoner who had been sent to the MDC several times and ran into Mr. Duncan on the street once. "He told Kenny that he didn't have a MetroCard. Kenny bought him one. That's the man he was."

Norman Seabrook, president of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, addressed the Duncan children directly, emphasizing their father was killed while protecting his friend and his mother and sister, who were in the house at the time. "He was a hero. He didn't just die. He died a hero. That is who your father was."

Mr. Seabrook organized a fundraiser held several nights before the funeral to benefit the two children. "We put out the call for help and in less than eight hours people we raised over $22,000. This is money they gave from their own pockets." He asked the children to face the crowd. "They are our family now." He praised Officer Duncan's son, Christopher, who is on a full scholarship at the University of Alabama. To his daughter, Ashley, Mr. Seabrook said, "When your Sweet Sixteen party comes this year, you will have 20 or 30 of us there to dance with you. I promise you will not dance alone."