Death in the line of duty
By David Handschuh Posted Jan 1 2002
Though thousands were killed on September 11, I think it's important we recognize that three members of the media perished that day along with the others who are missing and presumed dead.
Tom Pecorilli, a cameraman for Fox Sports, was returning to Los Angeles and his family. Bill Biggart was a NY freelance photographer killed when the north tower collapsed. He leaves a wife and several children.
My friend Glen Pettit was a 30-year-old New York City police officer. Before carrying a badge and gun and television camera on his shoulder for the NYPD's Video Unit he wore a press card and covered news for Fox Television in New York City and News 12 on Long Island, NY.
Glen was proud of the history he had recorded. He had made “the money shot,” as he liked to say. He had captured the single image or minutes of tape that captured the essence of the story.
I almost tagged along with Glen, knowing that his badge would be sure access to anywhere I wanted to go. But for some reason we opted to hug, warn each other to be careful and go our separate ways.
Glen was last seen on a short video clip from a television tape as he joined a team of firefighters entering the south tower. Less than five minutes later, the tower collapsed.
And while that short segment of video offered Glen's friends and family a final memory of a man, the images we took that day chronicled one of the most horrible acts of inhumanity in history.