Hundreds of police officers will converge in Middle Village this weekend for the wake of a young police officer who died last week.
Police Officer Rachel Bocatija was found dead on Feb. 27 inside her Bushwick home. The New York Daily News reported that she died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound; Bocatija was the third member of the NYPD to commit suicide this year, according to Police Commissioner James O’Neill.
Bocatija’s family will hold the visitation this Sunday, March 4, at Hess-Miller Funeral Home on Metropolitan Avenue in Middle Village.
On Friday, the 104th Precinct sent out an advisory noting that a number of on-street parking spaces near Hess-Miller will be reserved for Police Department personnel. No parking signs will be posted at these locations, and the NYPD will relocate any unauthorized vehicle parked in the designated areas after midnight on Sunday.
The designated parking locations include 64th and 65th Streets between Metropolitan and 62nd Avenues; Metropolitan Avenue between 64th and 65th Streets; and Mount Olivet Crescent between Metropolitan and 62nd Avenues.
A Mass for Bocatija will take place on Monday morning, March 5, at St. Sebastian’s Church in Woodside, followed by interment at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Maspeth. Drivers near both the church and cemetery can expect a large police presence and should plan alternate routes accordingly.
