Thousands of police officers, state troopers, sheriff's deputies and others from law enforcement agencies big and small across the country gathered at the New York City funeral of a slain officer killed with his partner in a brazen daytime ambush a week ago.
The sea of blue uniforms stretched for blocks outside the Christ Tabernacle Church in Queens on Saturday, as police helicopters flew above in a missing-man formation and Officer Rafael Ramos' body was carried by pallbearers in a casket draped in the New York Police Department flag. The NYPD estimates more than 20,000 officers attended.
"When an assassin's bullet targeted two officers, it targeted this city and it touched the soul of an entire nation," Vice President Joe Biden said in his eulogy. But the somber day, reminiscent of the bond New Yorkers shared after the Sept. 11 attacks and Superstorm Sandy, was not without tension. During the eulogy, a few hundred officers outside the church turned away from giant screens showing de Blasio, who has been harshly criticized by New York police union officials as a contributor to a climate of mistrust that preceded the killings of Ramos and his partner, Wenjian Liu. Sgt. Myron Joseph of the New Rochelle Police Department said he and fellow officers turned their backs spontaneously to "support our brothers in the NYPD."In a statement, de Blasio's spokesman said: "The Ramos and Liu families, our police department and our city are dealing with an unconscionable tragedy. Our sole focus is unifying this city and honoring the lives of our two police officers."In his eulogy, the mayor said hearts citywide were broken after the Dec. 20 shootings."
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Ever-eloquent Mario Cuomo, a son of Queens who rode his rhetorical gifts to three terms as New York governor and tantalized Democrats by flirting with a run for President, died Thursday. He was 82. Cuomo passed away at 5:15 p.m. of heart failure, surrounded by family in hisManhattan apartment as his son, Gov. Andrew Cuomo, was in Buffalo delivering his second inaugural address of the day. Mario Cuomo was too ill to attend his son’s first inaugural speech Thursday, delivered in Lower Manhattan just after noon.“He couldn’t be here physically today ... but my father is in this room,” Andrew Cuomo said.“He’s in the heart and mind of every person who is here. His inspiration and his legacy and his spirit is what has brought this day to this point.”