Advertisement

Thousands to attend slain NYPD officer's funeral

Thousands of people from across the country are expected to attend the funeral for slain New York City police Officer Rafael Ramos.

By Amy R. Connolly
Some 25,000 people are expected to attended the funeral for New York City police Officer Rafael Ramos on Saturday morning. NYPD police officers stand guard at a memorial in Downtown Brooklyn where Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu were killed in an ambush shooting. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
1 of 4 | Some 25,000 people are expected to attended the funeral for New York City police Officer Rafael Ramos on Saturday morning. NYPD police officers stand guard at a memorial in Downtown Brooklyn where Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu were killed in an ambush shooting. Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

NEW YORK CITY , N.Y., Dec. 27 (UPI) -- Some 25,000 people from across the country, including police officers and politicians, are expected to attend the funeral for New York City police Officer Rafael Ramos, who was gunned down while sitting in his patrol car last week.

Vice President Joe Biden and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been sharply criticized for his handling of police protests in the past weeks, are among the many expected to attend the Saturday morning funeral. Ramos, 40, and Officer Wenjian Liu, 32, were shot in an ambush attack on Dec. 20. Investigators said the gunman's motive may be related to the controversial police-related shootings in the past months. The gunman, 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, killed himself after the shooting.

Advertisement

The funeral comes after the wake at 800-seat Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens on Friday night. The church was so full some watched on a big screen outside.

Officers from small and large departments nationwide flew to New York, many using JetBlue airlines, which offered free flights to officers. It is common for police officers to attend funerals of their brethren killed in the line of duty.

Advertisement

"It's the right thing to do," Sgt. John O'Malley of the Scarborough Police Department told the Bangor Daily News. "We always try and get to officer funerals, especially when it's a line-of-duty death."

Funeral arrangements for Liu are still being prepared as authorities work to arrange for relatives to come from China for the services.

Latest Headlines