Thousands of mourners and police officers thronged the streets of Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn on Sunday to pay their last tribute to a police officer who was fatally shot while he was sitting in a patrol car in the month of December.
Uniformed officers and other mourners from nationwide assembled under the dreary sky to pay homage during the last riots of police officer Wenjian Liu. The officers consoled the officer’s grieving family, friends and loved ones.
Lauding the efforts of slain officer, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, “He walked a path of courage, a path of sacrifice and a path of kindness. This is who he was, and he was taken from us much too soon.”
De Blasio has faced severe criticism from some sections of the police department for his controversial statements in which he extended support to the nationwide protests called against racial profiling and police brutality.
During Liu’s funeral, many police officers had turned their backs to de Blasio’s image appearing on the big outdoor video screen.
Calling Liu a ‘hero’ Police Commissioner William Bratton said, “For seven years he kept the streets of Brooklyn safe. His dedication is hardly unique. It’s what cops do … We’re cops, we hold the line. The thin blue line.”
The family of the slain officer, who came from their native country China, paid their tribute and gave an emotional adieu to him.
“His spirit will always look up to us. We can always count on him. … We love you. We love you forever,” Pei Xia Chen, the newly wedded wife of Liu, said while calling his two-month-old husband her soulmate and best friend.
The 32-year-old officer and his 40-year-old patrol partner Rafael Ramos were ambushed on December 20. Ramos’ funeral was held last weekend, which had also drawn over 10,000 officers.
28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who gunned down Liu, had also fatally shot himself just moments after carrying the rampage.
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