By: Don Driggers

When a terrifying bomb scare unfolded outside the mayor’s residence at Gracie Mansion, one of the officers who rushed to respond was continuing a tradition that runs deep in his family.

Detective Sean Mulcahy, a member of the New York Police Department’s elite Bomb Squad, was among the specialists who helped secure the scene after homemade explosive devices were thrown during a chaotic protest outside the Upper East Side residence. As the NY Post reported, Mulcahy was actually driving into Manhattan for work when he noticed a Bomb Squad truck racing up the West Side Highway — a sign that a major incident was underway.

Moments later, he learned the emergency was unfolding near Gracie Mansion. According to the NY Post, Mulcahy and his partner quickly prepared their specialized equipment and headed to the scene once supervisors confirmed the situation involved potential explosive devices.

By the time they arrived near East 88th Street and East End Avenue, other officers had already begun securing the area, with one officer wearing a bomb-disposal suit. As the NY Post reported, Mulcahy’s team deployed the NYPD Bomb Squad’s robot to carefully approach and examine the suspicious devices.

After the explosives were removed from the area, they were transported away by other specialists for further testing and analysis. Mulcahy then continued the search with the help of his bomb-sniffing dog, Tony, conducting what police call “secondary searches” to ensure there were no additional threats nearby.

For Mulcahy, responding to such high-risk calls is more than just a job — it’s a family tradition.

As the NY Post reported, his father, Denis Mulcahy, spent 33 years in the NYPD Bomb Squad before retiring in 2002. The elder Mulcahy built a reputation as a highly skilled bomb technician and was awarded the Medal of Valor, one of the department’s highest honors.

Denis Mulcahy recalled one particularly tense case during the 1980s involving a bomb planted at a Queens abortion clinic. According to the NY Post, the device contained sticks of dynamite connected to a travel alarm clock, and technicians had to carefully disconnect the battery powering the explosive. The maneuver worked, preventing the bomb from detonating and earning Mulcahy recognition for his bravery.

Public service runs throughout the family. As the NY Post reported, Sean Mulcahy’s sister, Maureen Mulcahy, also served with the NYPD and retired as a lieutenant in 2019.

Despite the inherent danger of bomb-disposal work, the family says they have long accepted the risks that come with the profession.

Denis Mulcahy, who emigrated from Ireland and joined the NYPD in 1969, said dealing with explosives is exactly what bomb technicians train for. As the NY Post reported, he noted that his son simply stepped into the role he had spent decades performing — responding when New Yorkers needed the Bomb Squad most.

Sean Mulcahy himself has kept a relatively low profile about the incident. According to the NY Post, he didn’t even tell his two sons — ages 19 and 16 — that he had responded to the potentially deadly scene outside Gracie Mansion.