Gerard Benderoth (February 1, 1969 – March 8, 2017) was an American policeman and

strongman In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength. More recently, strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, have grown in popularity. These ...

. He was a

New York City Police The New York City Police Department (NYPD), officially the City of New York Police Department, established on May 23, 1845, is the primary municipal law enforcement agency within the New York City, City of New York, the largest and one of ...

officer for more than a decade, and later a local police officer in Haverstraw, Rockland County, New York. He had vied for years to try to win the title "World's Strongest Man". Standing tall, he weighed and, before crowds of up to 20,000, he had done everything from carrying 450-pound stones to deadlifting 825-pound cars.Report on Gerard Benderoth' suicide
lohud.com; accessed March 11, 2017. Benderoth was also a boxer, his skills qualified him for the 1996 Hudson Valley boxing team at the

Empire State Games The Empire State Games are a set of annual Olympic-style competitions for amateur athletes from the state of New York, encompassing several divisions and allowing athletes of all ages to compete. It was a member of the National Congress of State ...

. In 1995, he was a New York

Golden Gloves The Golden Gloves is the name given to annual competitions for amateur boxing in the United States, where they are awarded a belt and a ring. And the title of nations champion is awarded. The Golden Gloves is a term used to refer to the Nation ...

super heavy weight 220-pound finalist, losing by decision. He was a football player at North Rockland High School, later attending

Westchester Community College Westchester Community College (WCC) is a public community college in Valhalla, New York, in Westchester County. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. History New York Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences becomes West ...

and

Troy State Troy University is a public university in Troy, Alabama. It was founded in 1887 as Troy State Normal School within the Alabama State University System, and is now the flagship university of the Troy University System. Troy University is accredi ...

in Alabama.

Death

Benderoth died on March 8, 2017, age 48, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound when he was pulled over by FBI agents and local police officers just a short drive from his home. The FBI reportedly planned to arrest Benderoth on a sealed indictment related to the Tartaglione multiple murder and drug conspiracy case.

Personal life

Benderoth lived in Stony Point, Rockland County, New York, with his wife and four children.

Achievements

* 2006 - America's Strongest Man 13th * 2007 - America's Strongest Man 14th * 2008 - America's Strongest Man 10th

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Benderoth, Gerard 1969 births 2017 deaths American strength athletes New York City Police Department officers Place of birth missing People from Haverstraw, New York People from Stony Point, New York Suicides by firearm in New York (state)