NewNYPD officers turn their backs on mayor at funeral for slain policeman Wenjian Liu
Thousands of police in New York City came to honour a Chinese-American officer who was shot dead along with his partner in the wake of anti-police protests.
Thousands of police in New York City came to honour an officer who was shot dead along with his partner in the wake of anti-police protests. But in a sign of persistent tensions, the cops turned their backs on Mayor Bill de Blasio during the eulogy.
In one of the largest funerals in New York Police department (NYPD) history, politicians, police leaders and other mourners joined family members inside a Brooklyn funeral home to honour Wenjian Liu, who was ambushed by a gunman on December 20 by a killer who said he wanted to avenge the deaths of two unarmed black men confronted by white officers in Ferguson, Missouri, and New York.
Liu, 32, and his partner Rafael Ramos, 40, were both killed. Ramos was buried last month.
On Sunday, throngs of officers filled the street, stretching 1.6km, outside the funeral home in the Bensonhurst neighbourhood.
The crowd that turned out to honour Liu, believed to be the NYPD’s first Chinese-American officer killed in the line of duty, appeared nearly equal to the estimated 25,000 who came to Ramos’ funeral.
When de Blasio began his speech, hundreds of police standing well behind the front ranks turned their backs to the screens showing his image, despite earlier entreaties by City Police Commissioner Bill Bratton for mourners to show restraint.