BROOKLYN, NY, U.S.A.
POLICE OFFICER, 84TH PRECINCT, NEW YORK POLICE DEPARTMENT, BROOKLYN, NY
12/20/2014, BROOKLYN, NY, U.S.A.
Before his final shift ended in tragedy, Officer Wenjian Liu always called his dad to let him know he was all right.
On December 202014 that phone call never came, and the city lost a police officer eulogized as a hardworking, humble family man who sought the American Dream through the NYPD.
“No words can express my sadness,” Wei Tang Liu said Sunday through tears.”He called me every day before he finished work, to assure me that he is safe, and to tell me, ‘Dad, I’m coming home today. You can stop worrying now.’ “
Officer Liu, 32, was remembered as a fisherman and a good cook. He also was a Chinese immigrant inspired to join the force after the 9/11 attacks. Seven years ago he became a police officer.
Officer Liu and his partner, Rafael Ramos, were executed while sitting in their patrol car outside the Tompkins Houses. The police killer fatally shot himself.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton also hailed Liu’s legacy during the ceremony that featured frequent references to the teachings of Buddha.He said Officer Liu was part of a long tradition of policemen who join the force for the most noble of reasons.
“Officer Wenjian Liu believed in the possibility of making a safer world. All cops do,” Commisioner Bratton added. “Cops are from everywhere. The NYPD looks a lot more like the city it serves than some people think.”
Officer Liu was more than just his job. He had married only three months before his assassination.”His spirit will continue to look after us,” his widow, Pei Xia Chen said through tears. “Wenjian is my hero.”
“(Liu) was persistent in his efforts, and mindful of his obligations. He was patient,” Commissioner Bratton said. “He shared his culture. He was, after all, a good man. A humane man. He was a New York City cop.”
Two years after the deaths, the community gathered to remember:
Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were killed as they kept NYC safe. These two heroes proudly wore their uniforms and were forms and were not only part of the NYPD family, but sons, husbands, a father, and friends to many. Police and the community gathered to honor these New York City heroes. Please remember Detectives Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, the sacrifice they made, and the sacrifices their families continue to make. “We gather here today not to relive the pain of that day, but to celebrate the lives of these incredible men,” said Police Commissioner O’Neill. “To remember the contributions they made in life, to remember the impact they made on their families, their neighbors, their co-workers, and people who never even met them.”