- n Friday, crowds gathered in Glendale, Queens for a wake for one of the two officers killed on Saturday, 40-year-old father-of-two Rafael Ramos
- Ramos was working with fellow officer Wenjian Liu in Brooklyn last weekend when they were shot execution-style by a gunman
- After the wake, a memorial service will be held for Ramos at 7pm
- Vice President Joe Biden and city and state officials are expected to attend Ramos' funeral on Saturday
Rafael Ramos' heartbroken family have gathered at a church in Queens to remember the New York police officer nearly a week after he was shot dead while on duty.
The 40-year-old police officer's wife, Maritza, and two teenage sons entered Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale on Friday afternoon as thousands of cops lined the streets.
Crowds also gathered as Ramos' casket - draped in an NYPD flag - was carried into the church by officers. Some officers stood in a line and saluted, while others embraced each other for support.
The wake started at 2pm and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton is expected to pay his respects at 4pm. On Saturday, Vice President Joe Biden and city and state officials will gather for his funeral.
'Today we weep with the Ramos family, the New York Police Department and the nation as we mourn the loss of our dear brother,' The Rev. Ralph Pastor Castillo outside the church. 'He was a gift to our church.'
Honored: The casket of New York City police officer Rafael Ramos is carried into Christ Tabernacle Church prior to his wake on Friday in the Glendale neighborhood of the Queens borough
Mourning: Ramos' family, including his wife Maritza and his son Jaden can be seen entering the church
Heartbroken: After his father's death, Jaden, pictured, called it 'the worst day of my life'
Support: Two New York City police officers embrace outside the church on Friday afternoon
Ramos was shot dead execution-style alongside fellow police officer Wenjian Liu as they sat in their patrol car in Brooklyn on Saturday. The gunman then ran into the subway where he killed himself.
Before the killings, shooter Ismaaiyl Brinsley, had posted online that he was going to put 'wings on pigs' to avenge the deaths of two black males - Michael Brown and Eric Garner - at the hands of white police officers.
Ramos had celebrated turning 40 a week before his death. He had been on the force for two years and was raising two boys, Justin and Jaden, with his wife Martiza, whom he married in 1993.
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He was due to graduate from the police chaplaincy's program on Saturday afternoon - just hours after he was killed.
Ramos was a 14-year member of the Christ Tabernacle Church, where his wake is being held, the pastor said in a statement.
'When he was not working, he was highly involved in our church,' said The Rev. Adam Durso.
Speaking to the New York Times, Rev. Ralph Castillo said that Ralph - as he was known to them - had 'an infectious smile'.
Victims: Ramos, left, was killed alongside fellow NYPD officer, Wenjian Liu, right, on Saturday. The gunman said he wanted to kill police officers to avenge the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner
NYPD police commissioner Bill Bratton and his wife Rikki Klieman head to the wake on Friday afternoon
Passing on his respects: Cardinal Timothy Dolan (left) attends the wake on Friday afternoon
Show of support: Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani attends the wake for officer Ramos
U.S. Representative Peter King heads to the wake, which was held at the church Ramos attended for 14 years
New York Police Department Chief of Department James O'Neill arrives at the wake of officer Rafael Ramo
Line: Uniformed officers line up to enter the wake on Friday afternoon ahead of his funeral on Saturday
'When I think of Ralph I think of his smile and his consistency,' Rev. Castillo said. 'He didn't have to be there. This is something he chose to do. He was faithful and consistent.'
Other mourners lined for blocks to attend the wake.
'He was this beam of light,' said Elizabeth Vidal, who had known Ramos for more than a decade as a fellow congregant and usher at Christ Tabernacle Church, said - her voice cracking with sadness.
Following Ramos' death, his 13-year-old son Jaden wrote a heartfelt message to Facebook, calling it the 'worst day of my life'.
'Today I had to say bye to my father,' he wrote on Saturday. 'He was their [sic] for me everyday of my life, he was the best father I could ask for.
'It's horrible that someone gets shot dead just for being a police officer. Everyone says they hate cops but they are the people that they call for help.
'I will always love you and I will never forget you. RIP Dad.'
Ramos' wake is being held at Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale and will be followed by a memorial service at around 7pm and a funeral service Saturday morning.
Police had yet to announce details for the funeral of Liu, 32, while federal officials helped some of his relatives in China travel to the United States.
Loss: His casket is driven through the streets on its way to Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale
Respect: Officers line the streets as Ramos' casket arrives at his wake. His funeral will be held Saturday
Somber: Ramos, 40, was killed with another police officer last weekend as he sat in his patrol car in Brooklyn
Salutes: Police officers salute as the casket of NYPD officer Rafael Ramos arrives for his wake
Keeping watch: NYPD officers stand guard on rooftops as the wake commences below
On Tuesday, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which was set up for the firefighter who perished on 9/11, announced that it would pay off the mortgages for the two officers' families.
Donations to the fund can be made on the foundation's website.
The execution-style killing was so swift, according to the city's police commissioner, that the officers may never have seen their assailant, who soon after shot himself.
Brinsley wrote online before the attack that he wanted to kill a couple of police officers to avenge the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown, unarmed black men killed by white policemen in New York and Missouri.
The deaths of Garner and Brown and the decision not to prosecute the officers responsible ignited protests across the country, renewing a debate about race in America that has drawn in U.S. President Barack Obama.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman (second right) attends the wake on Friday
PBA president Patrick Lynch attends the wake of New York City police officer Rafael Ramos
Sadness: People hug as they line up to pay their respects to deceased NYPD officer Rafael Ramos
Tribute: People pay their respects to the slain police officers as the casket drives past in Glendale
Remembered: Blue ribbons adorn 64 Place near Christ Tabernacle Church, in the Glendale section of Queens, where the wake of New York Police Department officer Rafael Ramos was held
Condolences: A wreath arrives for NYPD officer Ramos' wake at Christ Tabernacle Church on Friday
The killing of Ramos and Liu further frayed bonds between many New York police officers and the year-old administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio. Police union leaders had for months accused protesters, who had de Blasio's qualified support, of stirring up a loathing for police.
Marta Mares, who said she only learned Ramos was a neighbor after his death, arrived to the wake on Friday with her daughter two hours before the church doors were due to open.
'We want to support NYPD officers because now we can see what danger they are in, especially under Mayor de Blasio,' she said.
Protest leaders expressed horror at the killings, saying they could not be held responsible for the actions of a man described by city officials as emotionally troubled. Brinsley shot and wounded his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore before traveling to Brooklyn.
Relatives of Garner joined the activist the Rev. Al Sharpton on Christmas Day to say prayers for both Ramos and Liu.
Also on Friday, a plane was seen waving a message across New York City skies reading: 'De Blasio, Our backs have turned to you.'
The message, which flew above the Hudson River around 9am, was a reference to officers' reactions to de Blasio as he attended the hospital where the bodies of Ramos and Liu were taken.
As the mayor walked past the officers, many were seen turning their backs to him.
Family: Ramos, pictured right, left behind wife Martiza, center, and two sons, including Jaden, 13
Distraught: Pei Xia Chen, the widow of slain officer Wenjian Liu, is comforted by family member Kevin Lee on Friday at the Stephen Siller Tunnels to Towers Foundation, which is paying off the families' mortgages
Emotional: Chen, right, weeps as the police officer's distraught mother, Xiu Yan Li, left, is comforted by Lee. The family has not made public any plans for a funeral for Lui, who was an only child
A photo of the plane banner was shared by former cop John Cardillo on Twitter on Friday.
It is not clear who paid for the banner. Jersey Shore Aerial Advertising, which displayed the message, told the New York Daily News that the buyers wanted to stay anonymous.
But on his website, Cardillo wrote that a 'large and unified group of current and retired NYC Police Officers, Detectives, & Supervisors' had asked him to post a message after seeing the plane.
'We are outraged by the mayor's incendiary rhetoric, and for facilitating the current hostile climate towards the NYPD,' he wrote on the blog.
'It is our opinion that Mayor de Blasio's dangerous and irresponsible comments about his and his wife's concern for their son's safety at the hands of the NYPD fueled the flames that led to civil unrest, and potentially to the deaths of PO Wenjian Liu and PO Rafael Ramos, as well as the continued threats against NYPD personnel.'
Harsh words: This banner was seen flying across New York City on Friday morning. It refers to the moment police officers turned their backs on Mayor Bill de Blasio following the deaths of two cops last weekend
Embattled: Some have blamed de Blasio, pictured Monday, for the deaths of the two officers last weekend after he apparently gave his support to people protesting against police violence
Cold shoulder: He can be seen walking past officers with their backs turned to him in Brooklyn last weekend
The Mayor shows us no respect, and encourages the public to follow his lead.'
The comments refer to how de Blasio revealed that he has warned his son Dante, who is mixed race, to be careful how he acts around police officers.
He made the comments in the aftermath of the deaths of black men, including Eric Garner and Michael Brown, at the hands of white police officers. Neither of the officers involved were charged.
After a grand jury failed to indict the officer who held Garner in a chokehold, de Blasio expressed his shock. Some police officers believe he should have supported them more strongly.
'We no longer have confidence in Mayor de Blasio, nor in his ability to lead New York City and promote the values that both the NYPD and the good law abiding citizens of the city hold dear,' Cardillo wrote. 'Mayor de Blasio turned his back on us long before we turned our backs on him.'
Read more:
- Anti-De Blasio banner seen above Hudson River - NY Daily News
- BREAKING EXCLUSIVE: NYPD COPS CALL OUT MAYOR BILL DeBLASIO ON HIS "INCENDIARY RHETORIC." - John Cardillo
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- Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers FoundationStephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2887774/Mourners-gather-slain-New-York-policeman.html#ixzz3N337ZmQr
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