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Street Vendor Who Spotted Times Square SUV Bomb Is Running For Congress
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 7, 2012
Modified Jun 15, 2012
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By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 7, 2012
Modified Jun 15, 2012
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The Vietnam veteran who spotted an SUV packed with explosives while selling handbags in Times Square last year is now running for Congress. Duane Jackson was one of the street vendors who first noticed the Nissan Pathfinder parked on Broadway by 45th Street with its motor running and smoke coming out of it. He alerted police immediately, and was soon hailed a hero, feted by government officials and even receiving a phone call from President Obama. "Kind of going back to that whole May 1st (2010) incident, as I step back, it kind of changed my perspective of where I am in my life right now," Jackson tells LoHud.com. "This is my time to get involved and I’m going to."
Jackson, a former city planner who resides in the Westchester County village of Buchanan, is one of several Democrats who want to unseat U.S. Rep. Nan Hayworth, including a Cortlandt Councilman and the mayor of Wappingers Falls. Sure, the other candidates may have political experience and a lot more money, but have they ever saved a crowd of people from dying in a "significant fireball"? Jackson says his history can energize the Democratic base "by being a common guy" and tells the Associated Press, "I had people from all over the world come and thank me for, you know, seeing something and saying something. I can tell people, especially young people and people in the minority communities, it’s OK to get involved in the running of this country."
Tagged
car bomb
Congress
duane jackson
Politics
times square bomb
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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