Wake held for NYPD officer
Political tensions ease at somber ceremony
NEW YORK – Hundreds of police officers from across the country streamed into the wake of a slain New York City officer on Saturday, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said his late father would have wanted him there after “really pointless” killings.
The uniformed police officers showed respect rather than disdain for Mayor Bill de Blasio when he arrived with Police Commissioner William Bratton, with some saluting as the men entered at the start of the daylong event for Officer Wenjian Liu.
“This is a really tragic story,” said Cuomo, who attended the wake two days after the death of his father, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.
He noted that Liu and his wife were newlyweds who had just moved into a home.
“She’s now a widow,” he said. “This is really pointless. It had nothing to do with them. They did nothing wrong. It wasn’t about them. It was pure and random hatred.”
Cuomo also expressed his own sorrow.
“Today is not the day for my dad, but I can say I miss him already. There’s a hole in my heart,” he said.
Liu was shot to death in his patrol car two weeks ago along with Officer Rafael Ramos, whose funeral was last week. Their killer committed suicide soon after the shooting.
For de Blasio, the gesture of respect during the wake contrasted with the back-turning insults hundreds of officers displayed last week toward video screens showing the mayor speaking at Ramos’ funeral. Bratton had urged officers to refrain from making political statements at Liu’s wake and funeral.
“A hero’s funeral is about grieving, not grievance,” Bratton said in a memo read to all commands at roll calls Friday and Saturday. “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.”
Police union officials, who are negotiating a contract with the city, had accused de Blasio of helping foster an anti-police atmosphere by supporting demonstrations following the chokehold death of an unarmed black man on Staten Island who resisted arrest.
Liu’s funeral was scheduled for today with a Chinese ceremony led by Buddhist monks to be followed by a traditional police ceremony with eulogies led by a chaplain.