On April 4th, 2009, Pittsburgh Police Officer Paul J. Sciullo II was gunned down in the line of duty, along with two other officers, in the worst police shooting in the city’s history. He made the decision to become an officer late in life because he wanted to make a difference. Paul was my cousin and this is a collection of stories about the impact he had on the lives of others, turning grief into joy, and what it means to be truly happy in what you do. 

To know my cousin Paul is to know his family, especially his mom and dad, my Aunt Susie and Uncle Max. Although they love each other and have a funny way of saying it, they love talking about Paul way more. He was the “love of their life” (their two daughters don’t mind them saying it, either, because they know it’s true.) So when Paul was killed in the line of duty, their world was turned upside down. This is how it all started. If you listen closely, you can hear Paul laughing.

This episode is all about Paul’s desire to be a police officer and what shaped his decision to change his life entirely and enroll in the Police Academy. It was a decision that his mother said made him “the happiest person in the world." 

Paul didn’t fit the mold of a police officer. He was the mold. After his death, people reached out to my Aunt Susie and Uncle Max to tell their story of Paul. How he treated them with respect. Gave them a second chance. And made a difference in their lives.  

In this episode, you will hear the stories that came out after Paul was killed in the line of duty. One person who was arrested by Paul came to the funeral home to tell my Aunt Susie and Uncle Max how Paul treated them with kindness and respect. People would knock on my Aunt Susie’s and Uncle Max’s front door and ask if they could come in and talk about Paul. Letters and cards would arrive, sent by people describing an interaction they had with Paul and how he made a profound impact on them. 

A beautiful spring day. Shattered by the sounds of gunfire. In this episode we walk in the shoes of Aunt Susie, Uncle Max, Julia, Laura and others in our family who woke up to a day none of us will ever forget. But this was not the end of Paul’s story, it was only the beginning.

Paul made an impression on a lot of people – but no one more than his mom. After she first laid eyes on him as a baby, she said, “Stick a fork in me, I’m done.” Never could she love anyone or anything more. This and other stories of profound love and respect for Paul await you in our fifth and final episode.