Pelham Manor Cop Hopes to Return to Duty in Few Months

If Michael Tillistrand had his way, he’d be in back in Pelham Manor patrol car.

But for now, all he can do is wait and continue rehabbing until his doctor gives him the final go-ahead.

“I’m hoping soon, within a few months,” said Tillistrand, who served as the grand marshal Monday during Pelham’s Memorial Day parade and ceremony.

Tillistrand, an officer with the Pelham Manor police department, after a car driven by Jillian Ruggiero struck him near the intersection of Boston Post Road and Edgewood Avenue. Tillistrand was assisting another officer with a traffic stop at the time of the accident.

The Westchester County District Attorney is still investigating the matter.

“Physically, I feel alright,” Tillistrand said. “The delay is more from the head injuries. It’s a long process of recovery and the doctor has to determine when he thinks I’m eligible to come back. My job is to keep the residents of Pelham safe as a police officer and that’s a lot of responsibility, so the doctor needs to be sure before he approves it.”

The community’s support for Tillistrand was evident Monday from the rounds of applause that were given every time his name was mentioned.

“It feels great to work in this community,” he said. “If you asked me before, I would have never told you that the residents would have been like this. It’s been very helpful. It means a lot to me in my heart and my ability. I live to be a cop and I live to serve them. I hope to be able to repay them for their tremendous support.”

Lucian Chalfen, a spokesman for the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office, said the county Police Department completed and submitted their accident reconstruction report on November’s incident earlier this month.

Chalfen said he expected the District Attorney's Office to finish its investigation in the near the future.