New York terror attack: Police officer who shot suspect hailed as hero

Nash was at the high school where the girl was located when the call came in that someone drove a truck onto a crowded Manhattan bicycle path, the Daily News reported. At the scene, he encountered the suspect — whom police identified as 29-year-old Sayfullo Saipov – armed with what appeared to be two guns. When Saipov didn't comply with the orders to drop his weapons, Nash reportedly shot him in his abdomen. Later, police discovered that the two firearms were essentially harmless – a pellet gun and a paintball gun.

Nash has been with the New York Police Department since 2012, the Daily News reported. He is a native of Suffolk County on Long Island.

The officer is a 2007 graduate of Patchogue-Medford High School, where he was on the school's track team — an old racing form shows his 5k time as 18 minutes and 27 seconds. CBS reports that Nash was taken to the hospital for ringing ears but that he was otherwise unhurt.

Police say Saipov killed eight people in his rampage, and after he was shot, he was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery but is expected to survive. In the truck that he drove into the crowd of people, he allegedly left a note pledging allegiance to ISIS, Newsday reported.