Over 25,000 police officers from all over the Country and Canada attended the funeral of slain police officer ‘Rafael Ramos‘ who was assassinated execution style last week along with his partner, Officer Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn street while they sat in their patrol car, CNN reports. The shooter, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, according to Police had posted anti-police and anti-government statements on social media, before commiting suicide in a nearby subway after killing both police officers.
Several government officials were also in attendance including Vice President Joe Biden, who was received with applause and said the New York Police Department (NYPD) is “the finest police department in the world” because of the sacrifices made by its force. “When an assassin’s bullet targeted two officers, it targeted this city and it touched the soul of the entire nation,” Biden said as he eulogized Ramos at a morning service held in his honor at Christ Tabernacle Church.
Others who spoke at the service include New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio, Police Commissioner, Bill Bratton and Church Leaders of Christ Tabernacle, where Ramos was an active member and they said they were touched by how much Ramos adored his wife, Maritza, and his two boys, Justin and Jaden. They also mentioned that he was devoted to his Christian faith, and was studying to become a chaplain. He “didn’t just have a Bible in his locker, he lived it in his heart,” Biden said. “He was a cop for all the right reasons.”
Bratton later appointed Ramos as an honorary Chaplain of his precinct and posthumously promoted both Liu and Ramos to detectives. “Our cops are people,” Bratton said. “When we see each other, we’ll heal. Wouldn’t that be the ultimate honor for offices Ramos and Liu — that they helped us heal?”
The murder of the officers stopped weeks of protests in New York, but after Ramos and Liu were killed, the NYPD heavily criticized the Mayor, De Blasio for not doing enough to reduce the negative feelings some of the protesters have expressed against police and actually, a number of Officers outside of Ramos’ funeral turned their backs on the mayor as he spoke from inside the church on Saturday.
Justin Ramos also said “What happened to my father and Officer Liu was a great tragedy,” …,”Dad, I’m forever grateful of the sacrifices you made to provide for me and Jaden.”
