NYPD chief who vaulted over barricade to chase ISIS-inspired wannabe bombers at Gracie Mansion protest receives high honor

The NYPD chief who vaulted over a barricade to chase down ISIS-inspired wannabe bombers outside Gracie Mansion earlier this year was awarded the department’s distinguished Medal for Valor Monday. Assistant Chief Aaron Edwards – the commanding officer of Patrol Borough Manhattan North – was among five heroes in blue who received the NYPD’s third-highest honor for their efforts taking down the suspected terrorists as unruly warring protests raged outside the mayor’s mansion back in March. “Today was very special,” Edwards said with the blue and gold medal around his neck.“It was really important that we got a chance to get recognized by the mayor, by the city, by the department — but not for me, really — for all the cops that were working at Gracie that day.”Edwards was on duty outside the Upper East Side residence during a rowdy March 7 anti-Muslim rally when two counter-protesters — Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19 — tossed homemade bombs into the crowd. Edwards swiftly hopped a barricade and helped chase down Balat — without knowing that the crudely made devices would fail to detonate.“We were working a pretty contentious protest,” the 23-year veteran recalled.

“We knew there would be some back and forth between the two groups.”“I certainly wasn’t expecting what occurred, but….[we] saw an individual light what we now know was an IED and immediately started running towards him – just an attempt to get his attention, scream at him, apprehend him, do something, just do anything, you know,” he said.“He drops his device and he begins to flee.

He jumps over the barrier, I give chase behind him.”The humble hero credited Sgt.Luis Navarro – who initially spotted Balat – for alerting him to the threat.

Navarro also received a Medal for Valor.Both suspects – who said they were inspired by the radical terror group — have since been turned over to the feds and are being held on terror charges.Edwards became ...