New Orleans Police Department Police Officer II John P. Passaro was born in Killeen, Texas and raised in Slidell, Louisiana. Passaro enjoyed his childhood, enjoying the company of his older sister and younger siblings. He looked forward to family gatherings, vacations, and outings, such as the beach, dinner, and going to the movies. Passaro also loved fishing and hunting. Eventually he and his wife met through a mutual friend. They have been together for 23 years.Â
In addition to having a passion for helping others in his community, Passaro was inspired by his family members who were also police officers to become one himself and in 2009, he did just that. He served Road Patrol and loved having the ability to help those in need. Passaro had goals to move through the ranks and become a detective. Throughout his career, Passaro achieved many things, including being promoted to PO II, fingerprint certified, and radar certified.Â
While responding to a report of a suspicious person at a Dollar General which turned out to be an armed robbery in progress, Passaro sustained gunshot wounds resulting in a C-7 spinal cord injury and paralysis. His recovery process was long, however, he remained motivated throughout to continue with rehabilitation and discover new ways to accomplish small tasks.Â
Currently, Passaro lives in Slidell, Louisiana with his wife, Stephanie. He loves participating in Fantasy Football, fishing, and traveling. Passaro keeps in touch with his local police department with his support and speaks at the NOPD academy to new recruits. In the future, he is most excited to do more with his family and take on more challenges without worry. He is grateful to Tunnel to Towers for helping his family move forward with their lives without the worry of losing the things they had prior to his injury. Passaro would like others to know that facing adversity, no matter how challenging the situation, it can be overcome.Â
