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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Wenjian Liu funeral: Police snub New York mayor again | Wenjian Liu funeral: Police snub New York mayor again |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hundreds of police officers have turned their backs on the mayor of New York at the funeral of the second of two officers shot dead last month. | Hundreds of police officers have turned their backs on the mayor of New York at the funeral of the second of two officers shot dead last month. |
| Wenjian Liu, a son of Chinese migrants, was killed with his partner Rafael Ramos on 20 December by a gunman with a grievance against the police. | Wenjian Liu, a son of Chinese migrants, was killed with his partner Rafael Ramos on 20 December by a gunman with a grievance against the police. |
| Speakers lined up to pay tribute at the service in a Brooklyn funeral home. | Speakers lined up to pay tribute at the service in a Brooklyn funeral home. |
| In the street outside, hundreds turned their backs to a video screen when Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke. | In the street outside, hundreds turned their backs to a video screen when Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke. |
| Many rank-and-file members of the New York Police Department (NYPD) resent Mr de Blasio's expressions of sympathy for anti-police protesters in recent months. | |
| Patrick Yoes, a national secretary with the 328,000-member Fraternal Order of Police, said before the new funeral: "Across this country, we seem to be under attack in the law enforcement profession, and the message to take away from this is: We are public servants. We are not public enemies." | Patrick Yoes, a national secretary with the 328,000-member Fraternal Order of Police, said before the new funeral: "Across this country, we seem to be under attack in the law enforcement profession, and the message to take away from this is: We are public servants. We are not public enemies." |
| But New York police commissioner Bill Bratton had urged officers to refrain from any further "act of disrespect", saying in a memo, "A hero's funeral is about grieving, not grievance." | But New York police commissioner Bill Bratton had urged officers to refrain from any further "act of disrespect", saying in a memo, "A hero's funeral is about grieving, not grievance." |
| 'City heartbroken' | 'City heartbroken' |
| Mayor de Blasio told the funeral service: "All of our city is heartbroken today." | Mayor de Blasio told the funeral service: "All of our city is heartbroken today." |
| Liu, 32, had lost his life while fighting for "all that is decent and good", he said. He paid tribute to a "young man who came here from China at the age of 12 in search of the American dream". | Liu, 32, had lost his life while fighting for "all that is decent and good", he said. He paid tribute to a "young man who came here from China at the age of 12 in search of the American dream". |
| Outside the funeral home, many uniformed officers could be seen turning their backs as the speech was relayed. | Outside the funeral home, many uniformed officers could be seen turning their backs as the speech was relayed. |
| Shortly after the policemen were shot, the head of the city's largest police union, Patrick Lynch, had lashed out at the liberal mayor, saying there was "blood on many hands". | |
| More than 20,000 officers attended Ramos' funeral on 27 December, and the sight of lines of police turning their backs marred the event for some. | More than 20,000 officers attended Ramos' funeral on 27 December, and the sight of lines of police turning their backs marred the event for some. |
| The two policemen were shot following a wave of demonstrations over killings of unarmed black men by white police officers, beginning in the Missouri town of Ferguson last summer. | |
| There was anger in New York after a grand jury decided not to press charges against a white police officer over the death of unarmed black man Eric Garner, who was placed in a chokehold while being restrained by police officers. | |
| Mayor de Blasio had expressed solidarity with the protesters and had publicly wondered if his son, who is mixed-race, was safe from police. | |
| Some argue that such rhetoric helped to create an environment that encouraged violence against police. | |
| At Liu's funeral, one retired NYPD officer, John Mangan, stood across the street from the funeral home with a sign that read, "God Bless the NYPD. Dump de Blasio." | At Liu's funeral, one retired NYPD officer, John Mangan, stood across the street from the funeral home with a sign that read, "God Bless the NYPD. Dump de Blasio." |
| However, George Breedy, a lieutenant with the St Charles Parish Sheriff's Department in Louisiana, said he had no plans to protest against Mr de Blasio, calling the rift between officers and the mayor a "local issue". | However, George Breedy, a lieutenant with the St Charles Parish Sheriff's Department in Louisiana, said he had no plans to protest against Mr de Blasio, calling the rift between officers and the mayor a "local issue". |
| "We're here to pay respect to the officers," he said. | "We're here to pay respect to the officers," he said. |
| Chinese mourning | Chinese mourning |
| Funeral arrangements had been delayed so relatives from China could travel to New York. | Funeral arrangements had been delayed so relatives from China could travel to New York. |
| A vigil was also held on Saturday in Chinatown where community members gathered to burn pieces of paper in honour of Liu, in keeping with Chinese tradition. | |
| The man who shot Ramos and Liu, African-American Ismaaiyl Brinsley, killed himself in a subway station as police were closing in. | The man who shot Ramos and Liu, African-American Ismaaiyl Brinsley, killed himself in a subway station as police were closing in. |
| Brinsley had a history of violence and mental instability. Before attacking the police officers, he had shot and injured his girlfriend, police said. | Brinsley had a history of violence and mental instability. Before attacking the police officers, he had shot and injured his girlfriend, police said. |
| On the day of the shooting, he went on social media to say he was planning to kill police officers. | On the day of the shooting, he went on social media to say he was planning to kill police officers. |