Gerard Benderoth (February 1, 1969 – March 8, 2017) was an American policeman and strongman.
He was a New York City Police officer for more than a decade, and later a local police officer in Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York. He had vied for years to try to win the title "World's Strongest Man".
Standing 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) tall, he weighed 325 pounds (147 kg) and, before crowds of up to 20,000, he had done everything from carrying 450-pound stones to deadlifting 825-pound cars. [1] Benderoth was also a boxer, his skills qualified him for the 1996 Hudson Valley boxing team at the Empire State Games. In 1995, he was a New York Golden Gloves super heavy weight 220-pound finalist, losing by decision.
He was a football player at North Rockland High School, later attending Westchester Community College and Troy State in Alabama. [2]
Death
Benderoth died on March 8, 2017, age 48, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when he was pulled over by FBI agents and local police officers just a short drive from his home. [3] [4] The FBI reportedly planned to arrest Benderoth on a sealed indictment related to the Tartaglione multiple murder and drug conspiracy case. [5]
Personal life
Benderoth lived in Stony Point, Rockland County, New York, with his wife and four children. [4]
Achievements
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- 2006 - America's Strongest Man 13th
- 2007 - America's Strongest Man 14th
- 2008 - America's Strongest Man 10th
References
- ^ Report on Gerard Benderoth' suicide, lohud.com; accessed March 11, 2017.
- ^ Lieberman, Steve (8 March 2017). "Haverstraw: Retired cop kills self near Thiells school after FBI stop". Citizen Times. HAVERSTRAW, NY. Retrieved 30 March 2017.
- ^ Bnadler, Jonathan (February 16, 2017). "Victims' relatives face murder suspect Nicholas Tartaglione in court". lohud.com. LOHUD The Journal News. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
- ^ a b Rosenberg, Eli; Rashbaum, William K. (March 9, 2017). "New Details Emerge in Murder Case After Ex-Officer's Suicide". Retrieved March 11, 2017 – via NYTimes.com.
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^ Cohen, Shawn; Schram, Jamie; Italiano, Laura; Taylor, Alex; Fonrouge, Gabrielle (March 8, 2017).
"Hulking ex-NYPD officer kills himself during FBI stop". New York Post. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
Benderoth, who worked a stint at the Haverstraw PD after retiring from the NYPD in 2005, was facing undisclosed charges in connection to the quadruple murder allegedly carried out by Tartaglione