On April 29, 2018, Irvington Police Officer Arcangelo F. Liberatore was off-duty with his family at a park in Mount Pleasant when he heard the screams of a 5-year-old girl. He ran to the scene and saw the young girl being viciously attacked by a coyote. He shepherded his own family to safety and, without hesitation, wrestled and pulled the animal off the girl, restraining it until local police officers arrived and put the animal down. During the struggle, Liberatore and the girl both suffered injuries that required immediate medical treatment at a local hospital and follow-up care, when it was later determined that the coyote was rabid. Irvington Police Chief Michael P. Cerone said Liberatore invoked the selfless spirit of humanity by coming to the aid of another in a time of a crisis. "His heroism in taking on a rabid coyote barehanded was an amazing deed and exemplifies the true meaning of being a police officer, protecting society from all kinds of predators," he said. In addition to a lifesaving medal from his department, Officer Liberatore was recognized by the State of New York and he was awarded the prestigious Carnegie Medal from the Carnegie Hero Fund, which was established in 1904 by Pittsburgh steel magnate Andrew Carnegie to recognize individuals in the United States and Canada who risk their lives "to an extraordinary degree while saving or attempting to save the lives of others."