Second NYPD officer honored at funeral; officers again turn backs on de Blasio
Father, widow offer tearful tributes to slain NYPD officer Wenjian Liu
(about 7 hours later)
Police, public officials and mourners from across the country gathered Sunday to honor a detective killed last month in an act of violence that has roiled New York City, with a large number of officers again making their frustrations with the city’s mayor apparent by turning their backs on him as he paid tribute to the slain officer.
NEW YORK — A grieving Wei Tang Liu sobbed and leaned on those at his side as he made his way to the lectern to say a few words about his son, Wenjian Liu, a photograph of him in his navy-blue police uniform and hat near sprays of flowers.
Defying a request from Police Commissioner William Bratton, the strident display of protest began as Mayor Bill de Blasio took the podium at the Aievoli Funeral Home in Brooklyn to eulogize Detective Wenjian Liu, reinforcing entrenched feelings of hostility that have gripped the department in the weeks since Liu and Detective Rafael Ramos were fatally shot without warning on a Brooklyn street.
“This is the worst day in my life,” said the elder Liu, his voice breaking. “My only son left me.”
In highly controversial remarks, union leaders have criticized the mayor for expressing support for demonstrations against police brutality and accused him of fostering an environment that encourages attacks on police officers.
The funeral for Wenjian Liu on Sunday was the second time in as many weeks that police officers from New York and across the country have gathered to memorialize one of their own. And once again, many officers showed their displeasure with Mayor Bill de Blasio, turning their backs when his face appeared on giant screens set up outside the funeral home where the service was held.
Officers turn their backs on Mayor. Top pic taken just before DeBlasio spoke; bottom pic during his speech pic.twitter.com/o4T0u1lGcE — Kristin Thorne (@KristinThorne) January 4, 2015
This protest was not as large as the one staged last weekend at the funeral for Liu’s partner, Rafael Ramos, 40. The two were sitting in a squad car as part of a special detail aimed at reducing crime in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn when they were fatally shot. The gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, who had a history of mental illness and numerous arrests, fled to a nearby subway station and committed suicide. Their deaths have come to symbolize frustration among police officers that they have been unfairly criticized during months of protests over police use of lethal force.
Officers turn their backs on Mayor. Top pic taken just before DeBlasio spoke; bottom pic during his speech pic.twitter.com/o4T0u1lGcE
Officer Liu, 32, whom many called “Joe,” a seven-year veteran of the NYPD, had gotten married just a few months before his murder.
— Kristin Thorne (@KristinThorne) January 4, 2015
His father remembered him as a dutiful son who always made time to take his father to doctor appointments and would help him finish up at the garment factory where he worked. He even took his parents on his honeymoon.
AGAIN: NYPD Turn Their Backs on De Blasio at Fallen Officer's Funeral [PHOTOS] – http://t.co/MWsCowZess pic.twitter.com/UOfyHLDf6Y — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 4, 2015
“Wenjian, you are the best son,” his father said in Chinese, speaking through an interpreter. “You are the best husband. Also, you are our police officer and our best friend. Your action gave pride to all of us, and we are very proud of you.”
AGAIN: NYPD Turn Their Backs on De Blasio at Fallen Officer's Funeral [PHOTOS] – http://t.co/MWsCowZess pic.twitter.com/UOfyHLDf6Y
Wei Tang Liu also offered his condolences to the Ramos family.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) January 4, 2015
Wenjian Liu’s widow, Pei Xia Chen, thanked the officers and officials for honoring the memory of her husband, whom she called her soul mate.
In a memo read at roll calls Friday and Saturday, Bratton urged officers to avoid making political statements during Liu’s funeral.
He had a passion for nature, she said. And for his family. And for being a police officer.
“A hero’s funeral is about grieving, not grievance,” the memo said. “I issue no mandates, and I make no threats of discipline, but I remind you that when you don the uniform of this department, you are bound by the tradition, honor and decency that go with it.”
“He took pride in the fact that he is NYPD,” she said.
A day after Liu and Ramos were killed, New York police union leader Patrick Lynch said de Blasio “had blood on his hands.” Patrick Yoes, a national secretary with the 328,000-member Fraternal Order of Police, told the Associated Press he supported Lynch’s stance toward the mayor.
NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton said of Liu: “He loved his family and they certainly loved him, as we see from so many who came from so far away. And at the end of every tour, he would call his father, to let him know he was safe. At the end of every tour — but one.”
“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,” Yoes said.
Outside of the Ralph Aievoli and Son funeral home in Brooklyn, under a gray sky, officers in blue uniforms filled the street in a line that spanned several blocks. Residents watched from their windows and front steps, many from houses still decorated for the holidays. The officers stood stoically in formation, many in white gloves and with black bands covering their badge numbers in a show of grief.
On Saturday, de Blasio and Bratton were saluted by officers as they arrived at Liu’s wake. The show of respect was a markedly different reception than the one the mayor received a week earlier, when some officers turned their backs on him in protest while he spoke at Ramos’s funeral. Today, de Blasio was received a respectful reception among police officials inside the funeral home, but the reaction outside was mixed, according to the Associated Press.
“This isn’t the type of killing that we can accept,” said Officer Ryan Anderson, 39, of Berkeley, Calif. “To have an officer killed sitting in their car, that’s difficult to accept.”
The mayor called Liu a “brave and skilled detective” but pointed out that so many of his friends and colleagues will remember him for his kindness. De Blasio recounted in detail a story about Liu responding to a call for an aging Vietnam veteran who had fallen and needed help getting up. Instead of leaving the man, de Blasio said, Liu spent hours talking to the veteran before helping the man to bed and wrapping him in blankets.
Along the street, signs on light posts expressed love for Liu and support for the NYPD.
“Detective Liu was the sort of officer who when he saw someone on the street lost, he’d go over to them to ask them if they were hungry,” the mayor said. “He’d literally go over to them and buy them dinner at McDonald’s and give them a ride home.”
“They protect us,” said Sunny Mui, president of the Brooklyn Chinese-American Business Association, holding a banner with about 10 others that said the officer would be “in our heart forever.” “We honor Mr. Liu,” Mui said.
Detective Wenjian Liu lifted all of us up in the too-brief time we were fortunate enough to have him with us. pic.twitter.com/Hgr8UmhsnN — Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) January 4, 2015
Inside the funeral home, de Blasio said, “All of our city is heartbroken today.”
Detective Wenjian Liu lifted all of us up in the too-brief time we were fortunate enough to have him with us. pic.twitter.com/Hgr8UmhsnN
“We’ve seen the pain that people feel from all walks of life, a sense of appreciation for the sacrifices of this family and of the Ramos family, their understanding — for people who have never worn a uniform — of how many dangers our men and women in uniform face, and what it means for their families,” he said. “All of this city is feeling the pain right now.”
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) January 4, 2015
De Blasio seemed to be trying to remedy some of the tensions between him and some police officers who have been angered by some of the mayor’s comments about the need for reforms in the department, particularly how it deals with communities of color. “Let us move forward by strengthening the bonds that unite us and let us work together to obtain peace,” he said.
Bratton spoke next, discussing Liu’s decision to join the police force after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and his enduring devotion to family. The police commissioner said Liu and Ramos were “murdered for their color, slain because they were blue.”
As the mayor spoke, some officers turned their backs in protest to a screen outside the funeral home, coming face to face with those who remained in formation.
“For seven years, he sought out the suffering, the disturbed, the injured and tried to bring them comfort,” he said.
“Just no respect,” said a retired NYPD officer who was a member of the motorcycle brigade and declined to give his name. “There is always that few who like to stir things up.”
“At the end of every tour,” Bratton later added, “he would call his father to let him know he was safe. At the end of every tour except one.”
Nearby, a man held a sign that read: “God Bless the NYPD. Dump de Blasio.”
The morning began with thousands of officers in varying shades of blue walking down 65th Street toward the funeral home. Along the way, they passed groups of solemn-looking supporters holding signs and snapping photos from the sidewalk. A black stripe could be seen over many badge numbers, a striking sign of the law enforcement community’s collective grief.
FBI Director James B. Comey acknowledged the danger that police officers face, noting that 115 officers were killed in the line of duty last year. He said it was a shocking increase from the year before.
Many officers, including Ryan Andersen, 39, of Berkeley, Calif., arrived from departments across the country to pledge their support for Liu and the NYPD.
“I do not know why there is so much evil and heartache in our world,” Comey said, “but I believe it is our obligation to make something good out of tragedy. To do good to honor this good man and to do everything to protect those who protect us.”
“This isn’t the type of killing that we can accept,” Andersen said. “We understand it’s part of the job. But to have an officer killed sitting there in their car and talking to his partner, that’s difficult to accept.”
After the service, six pallbearers slowly carried Liu’s casket, draped in the green, white and blue flag of the NYPD, on their shoulders to a black hearse. Police helicopters flew overhead in the department’s ceremonial missing-man formation. A bugler played taps, and those in uniform saluted.
“We felt it was important for us to be here for the officers of the NYPD and the city to show our support,” he added.
Gregory is a freelance writer.
A solemn day as we lay to rest NYPD Detective Liu, one of the Finest. We will never forget his sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/R4kByKZP5X — Commissioner Bratton (@CommissBratton) January 4, 2015
A solemn day as we lay to rest NYPD Detective Liu, one of the Finest. We will never forget his sacrifice. pic.twitter.com/R4kByKZP5X
— Commissioner Bratton (@CommissBratton) January 4, 2015
A sea of blue outside the funeral for #NYPD Det. Wenjian Liu. pic.twitter.com/x3ljIu1pMC — Nicole Fuller (@nicolefuller) January 4, 2015
A sea of blue outside the funeral for #NYPD Det. Wenjian Liu. pic.twitter.com/x3ljIu1pMC
— Nicole Fuller (@nicolefuller) January 4, 2015
A #SeaofBlue preparing to pay their final respects to Det Wen Jian Liu. May he rest in eternal peace https://t.co/F84Z8GJsse — NYPD 110th Precinct (@NYPD110Pct) January 4, 2015
A #SeaofBlue preparing to pay their final respects to Det Wen Jian Liu. May he rest in eternal peace https://t.co/F84Z8GJsse
— NYPD 110th Precinct (@NYPD110Pct) January 4, 2015
Along 65th Street, as the officers flowed by, neighbors watched the procession from their windows and doors. The funeral drew many Asian Americans, who watched from behind police barricades with signs of support for Liu and the police department.
“They protect us,” said Sunny Mui, President of the Brooklyn Chinese-American Business Association, holding a sign that memorialized Liu as “in our hearts forever.” “We honor Mr. Liu,” he said, noting that he was from Taishan, the same town in China as the fallen officer.
It is the second straight day of mourning for the 32-year-old officer. At Liu’s wake Saturday, more than 1,000 officers from across the country descended upon the funeral home, braving wet weather and cold temperatures in lines that stretched for blocks and lasted for hours, according to news reports.
About 100 officers from the 84th Pct. arrive in Bensonhurst ahead of funeral for NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu. pic.twitter.com/hS1QffyUKM — Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) January 3, 2015
About 100 officers from the 84th Pct. arrive in Bensonhurst ahead of funeral for NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu. pic.twitter.com/hS1QffyUKM
— Mike Balsamo (@MikeBalsamo1) January 3, 2015
Officers from across the country line up for NYPD Detective Wenjian Liu's wake. http://t.co/JBvWDKlykS pic.twitter.com/igHu2egufn — PIX11 News (@PIX11News) January 3, 2015
Officers from across the country line up for NYPD Detective Wenjian Liu's wake. http://t.co/JBvWDKlykS pic.twitter.com/igHu2egufn
— PIX11 News (@PIX11News) January 3, 2015
Among the attendees was Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, who attended the wake two days after the death of his father — former New York governor Mario Cuomo.
“This is really a tragic story,” Cuomo (D) said, referring to Liu’s killing, according to NBC New York.
“She’s now a widow,” he said, in a reference to the detective’s wife. “This is really pointless. They did nothing wrong. It wasn’t about them. It was pure and random hatred.”
At the wake, Liu’s uniformed body was laid out in an open casket, with his NYPD badge and hat, according to the New York Daily News. Nearby, the paper reported, amid candles and burning incense, a white banner offered a message in Chinese: “His bravery is still with us.”
Liu, a seven-year veteran of the police force, was in a patrol car with his partner, Ramos, in Bedford-Stuyvesant when they were shot. The gunman — 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, an emotionally disturbed man with a long history of violence — had vowed to kill police as revenge for recent killings of unarmed black men by white police officers in Missouri and New York.
Liu, who recently married, moved to New York from China with his family in 1994. He is thought to be the first Chinese American officer killed in the line of duty in New York. Ramos, a 40-year-old husband and father, was entering his second year as an officer and planned to become a chaplain. Both men were posthumously promoted to detective first grade.
RELATED: Friends and relatives say slain officers fulfilled their dreams of becoming cops and were just getting started
The funeral began at 11 a.m. Eastern time and included a Chinese ceremony led by Buddhist monks, as well as a traditional police funeral led by a chaplain, according to the Associated Press.
Funeral arrangements were postponed so members of Liu’s family in China could acquire the necessary documentation to make the overseas trip, according to the New York Times.
Relatives weep at slain NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu's wake – New York Daily News http://t.co/hL9RpJSFE7 pic.twitter.com/0D3avLBkpP — Doyle Industries (@DoyleGlobal) January 4, 2015
Relatives weep at slain NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu's wake – New York Daily News http://t.co/hL9RpJSFE7 pic.twitter.com/0D3avLBkpP
— Doyle Industries (@DoyleGlobal) January 4, 2015
Morgan Johnston, a spokesman for JetBlue, said the airline flew 1,146 officers to New York for Liu’s funeral. Johnston said JetBlue worked with a partner airline to bring Liu’s family from China.
FBI Director James B. Comey attended the funeral at the behest of President Obama. Vice President Biden attended Ramos’s funeral Dec. 27.
After taking the stage, Comey said 115 police officers across the country have been killed in the past year.
“I do not know why there is so much evil and heartache in our world,” he said.
Unimaginable pain for a newly wed wife having to bury her husband #nypd #WenjianLiu . #RafaelRamos pic.twitter.com/Moh0wua4p8 — Dean Meminger (@DeanMeminger) January 4, 2015
Unimaginable pain for a newly wed wife having to bury her husband #nypd #WenjianLiu . #RafaelRamos pic.twitter.com/Moh0wua4p8
— Dean Meminger (@DeanMeminger) January 4, 2015
That heartache was on full display as Liu’s weeping wife, Pei Xia Chen, took the stage to remember the man she referred to as her “soulmate” and her “best friend.” She said he was a fearless, hard-working officer who took pride in being part of the NYPD and working with the city’s Chinese community.
“Although he worked often, he would always make sure to take time for me — his number one fan — his family and his friends. He was always there when someone needed something.”
Kia Gregory in New York contributed to this report.
