Ridgewood Vigil For Slain Cops; Funeral In Glendale Sat.
Scores of residents gathered outside the 104th Precinct’s Ridgewood stationhouse on Monday night, Dec. 22, to mourn the loss of two NYPD officers executed in Brooklyn last weekend and call for public unity with police.
The candlelight vigil honored Police Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu of the 84th Precinct, who were gunned down last Saturday afternoon, Dec. 20, while sitting in their patrol car at the corner of Myrtle and Tompkins avenues.
The assassin—identified as 29-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley of Baltimore, Md.—fatally shot himself moments later after fleeing to the Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues G train station.
Ramos and Liu died of their injuries at Woodhull Hospital Center. Glendale will host Ramos’ funeral, which will take place Saturday, Dec. 27, at Christ Tabernacle Church. Tens of thousands of officers and mourners are expected to attend and, to accommodate the massive crowd, roads near the church will be closed.
After weeks of demonstrations and rhetoric against cases of police brutality, the double murder spurred calls for calm and unity. Community leaders across the city scrambled to condemn the officers’ deaths and organized vigils in their memory.
The 104th Precinct Community Council’s vigil, held outside the command’s headquarters at 64-02 Catalpa Ave., lasted only about 15 minutes, but drew more than 100 residents who came to mourn the fallen officers and show solidarity with the NYPD. Capt. Christopher Manson, the 104th Precinct’s commander, thanked the crowd for being supportive of the department and its officers.
Among those who paid tribute to the executed officers was Queens Borough President Melinda Katz, who called for meaningful discussions to restore a good relationship between the NYPD and the city.
“It’s a difficult time for the City of New York and our borough, but this really is about the city—and to move the city forward after such a tragedy is imperative,” Katz told residents. “As we move forward as a city, it’s important to remember there’s extremes on all sides, but one thing we can all agree on is to mourn the officers we lost.”
Assemblyman Mike Miller added that the time had come for protestors both defending police policies and railing against them tone down the rhetoric and “move on” to mourn the lost officers.
The mother of a police officer, Assemblywoman Margaret Markey stated the weekend’s tragic events profoundly affected her.
“Every time I see my son, I tell him to be safe,” she said. “We’re all finding this event very difficult, especially in this time of year. I just ask everyone to keep the families in your prayers.”
City Council Member Elizabeth Crowley thanked Manson and the NYPD for their service to the city and echoed calls for unity.
“Two families will not have a holiday season because they lost their father, or their brother or their husband,” she said. “It has rocked our city and I just look to God in times like this. … I hope that over the next couple of weeks and forever, we always respect the things police do.”
Additional memorial vigils took place Monday night at Diversity Plaza in Jackson Heights and outside the 108th Precinct stationhouse in Long Island City. Another vigil occurred after press time Tuesday night in Forest Hills at the 112th Precinct stationhouse.
Local funeral for officer
Ramos, a Cypress Hills resident, reportedly was an active member of Glendale’s Christ Tabernacle Church and leaves behind a wife and two teenage children; Liu resided in Gravesend and is survived by his two parents and his wife, whom he married just two months ago.
Christ Tabernacle Church, located at 64-34 Myrtle Ave., will hold a viewing for Ramos on Friday, Dec. 26, from 2 to 9 p.m., with a prayer service at 7 p.m. The church will offer a funeral service the following morning, Dec. 27, at 10 a.m., followed by interment at Cypress Hills Cemetery.
Manson stated Ramos’ body is presently at the church, with 104th Precinct officers providing 24-hour guard. Saturday’s funeral is expected to draw up to 20,000 officers and other mourners from across the city and country.
Because of the enormous crowd, the commander noted, Myrtle Avenue will likely be closed “for probably six or seven blocks on either side” of Christ Tabernacle. Access to the avenue from side streets will be blocked off, and police officers and members of the 104th Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol will assist with traffic detail.
Nevertheless, Manson advised Glendale and Ridgewood residents to avoid driving through the area Saturday morning and, if they wish to pay their respects, to walk to Myrtle Avenue.
Arrangements for Liu were not announced as the Times Newsweekly went to press Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 23.
Targeted at random
Law enforcement sources said Brinsley—who had a lengthy arrest record and a history of mental illness—shot his exgirlfriend in Baltimore earlier last Saturday morning, then traveled by bus to New York City.
Reportedly, he posted a message on the social media website Instagram claiming he was going to kill police officers to avenge the police-involved deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. and Eric Garner in Staten Island. The high-profile cases drew national attention and protests after grand juries declined to indict the officers involved in either case.
Police officials stated the Baltimore County Police Department learned of the Instagram message and alerted the NYPD at 2:47 p.m., which was about the time that Brinsley approached the corner of Myrtle and Tompkins avenues.
Officers Ramos and Liu, outside of their normal jurisdiction, were assigned to a special detail near a housing project. Law enforcement sources said Brinsley—after telling persons nearby to watch what he would do—pulled out a Taurus handgun and opened fire on the officers, shooting them through the windshield.
Law enforcement sources said Brinsley then ran from the scene; additional officers at the post and two Con Edison workers who witnessed the shooting reportedly pursued him to the entrance to the Myrtle-Willoughby Avenues station.
Upon entering the southbound platform, authorities noted, Brinsley shot himself in the head. Police and paramedics located him soon thereafter; he was pronounced dead of his selfinflicted injuries at Brooklyn Hospital Center.
‘They were assassinated’
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William Bratton visited the officers’ families at Woodhull Hospital, then addressed the media last Saturday night in the hospital auditorium.
“Today, two of New York’s Finest were shot and killed with no warning, no provocation,” a visibly shaken Bratton said. “They were, quite simply, assassinated—targeted for their uniform, and for the responsibility they embraced to keep the people of this city safe.”
According to Bratton, the officers “never had the opportunity to draw their weapons” and may “never have actually seen their assailant, their murderer.”
De Blasio called the double homicide a “particularly despicable act which goes at the very heart of our society and our democracy.”
“When a police officer is murdered, it tears at the foundation of our society. It is an attack on all of us,” he said. “Therefore, every New Yorker should feel they, too, were attacked. Our entire city was attacked by this heinous individual.”
Hundreds of officers converged upon Woodhull Hospital to offer their respects and salute the slain officers as their bodies were transported from the medical center.
Local reaction
Across the city and in Queens, local elected officials mourned the officers’ loss and called on all residents and the NYPD to rebuild relations peacefully after weeks of protests and, at times, inflammatory rhetoric.
“As we continue to investigate these senseless acts of violence against two of our city’s heroes, we pray for peace, support the men and women who bravely patrol our streets every day and mourn for the loss of these two police officers who gave their lives to keep us safe,” added Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson.
“As we mourn the loss of Officers Liu and Ramos, we must find a way to channel our emotions into achieving positive change for our city,” Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said. “We must come together to heal each other, to recognize our common humanity and to build a city that is stronger and more united than ever.”
“The savage murder of New York City police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos is a horrific act,” said Rep. Carolyn Maloney. “In the face of such senseless violence, we should calm down the rhetoric and work together to find a way to create a safer and more peaceful city.”
“There are no words to describe the cowardly and barbaric murders of two NYPD officers,” said Rep. Grace Meng. “I thank the NYPD for their bravery and commitment to protecting our city, and I stand with the department during this very difficult time. I ask the public to be calm and peaceful, and I send my deepest condolences to the slain officers’ families.”
Even so, some in the city— including Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch—charged that there was “blood on many hands” in the wake of the officers’ execution. In particular, Lynch blamed Mayor de Blasio for purportedly failing to support the city’s police force amid protests, which resulted in some violence against officers.
In the aftermath of the execution, de Blasio and other leaders publicly called, out of respect for the slain officers and their families, for further protests to be postponed until after their funerals.
The NYPD urged anyone who learns of a threat made by someone—especially through social media—against the Police Department to contact 911 immediately.
