By Patrick Donachie
A crowd of NYPD officers clad in dress blues gathered at the corner of 212th Street and 104th Road to remember Detective Brian Moore, who was shot and killed at the intersection one year earlier.
They were joined Wednesday by Commissioner Bill Bratton and members of the Moore family.
A tent covered some of the mourners from the drizzling rain as Bratton fondly remembered Moore. He said the memorial was “fulfilling the promise we always make to the families of our fallen heroes” to never forget.
On May 2, 2015, Moore, a 25-year-old officer with the 105th Precinct’s Anti-Crime Unit, was patrolling near 212-11 104th Road at about 6:15 p.m. with his partner, Officer Erik Jansen. The two were in an unmarked police car, and approached Demetrius Blackwell, who they suspected of having a weapon.
According to police, Blackwell pulled a gun from his waistband and fired at both Moore and his partner.
Moore was struck in the head, and was transported to Jamaica Hospital, where he was kept in a medically induced coma after surgery. He died two days later.
Blackwell was taken into custody approximately 90 minutes after the shooting, and pleaded not guilty to the charge of murder in June 2015.
Bratton told the audience at the memorial how Moore had come from a family of police officers, including his father Raymond, who was a retired sergeant with the NYPD. Moore had been an officer for nearly five years, and Bratton said that he had “the gift of the eye,” instinctively heading towards danger to protect the community he served.
Bratton, who posthumously promoted Moore to the rank of detective at his funeral May 9, 2015, said that he would be traveling next week to Washington, D.C., when Moore’s name would be enshrined on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
Irene Moore, the fallen officer’s mother, also spoke at the memorial. She implored the audience to keep her son’s memory alive with warm thoughts of his friendship and humor.
“Remember a memory of him that made us happy,” she said. “He lit up the room every time he walked into the room.”
The memorial concluded as officers positioned a wreath at the site of the shooting, accompanied by the sound of bagpipes.
The city had previously honored Moore by co-naming 222nd Street, outside of the 105th Precinct, in his honor on Dec. 11.
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona
