Reflections on todays funeral of NYPD Detective Wen Jian Liu. Driving along the Belt Parkway through receding rain saw numerous private cars filled with uniformed police heading toward the funeral. Get off Belt at Exit 5 and drive through streets of Bay Ridge, Bensonhurst and Dyker Heights seeing blue ribbons tied to light posts up and down the streets. Signs in windows and banners flying from storefronts proclaim WE LOVE NYPD. Arrive at 66th St and 3rd Ave at 9:30, one block from Aievoli Funeral Home. 90 minutes until funeral begins but the streets are already filled with Blue. Standing outside the funeral home, I exchange subdued greetings with saddened cops Ive known over the years, including hero cop Steven McDonald who has been in a wheelchair for more than a quarter century. Steve is the ultimate Profile in Courage. Inside the funeral parlor, there was one room with Det. Liu in an open coffin which was reserved for the family, another room for police and the third room for elected officials. After paying final respects at Det Liu s coffin, I went to the third room and watched the service on a closed circuit screen. The remarks by Det. Lius father spoken in Cantonese were so visceral and heart wrenching they overcame the otherwise insurmountable language barrier. When Det. Lius widow, Pei Xia Chen, began her eulogy, it seemed as if everyone on the room tensed-almost afraid to move or even exhale. Speaking in heavily accented but entirely understandable English, this brave woman-who had been married only three months before her husband was assassinated - her choked anguish and agony seared our hearts. So much sorrow; so much eloquence. Out on 3rd Avenue, Police were lined as far as I could see. There were also NYPD snipers on the roofs of buildings throughout the neighborhood - including the rugged four story apartment house on 65th Street behind the funeral home, the T&D Bank on the corner of 3rd Avenue and the Immigration Center directly across from Aievolis. The coffin was carried down the front steps and then placed in the hearse, the NYPD flag removed and presented to the grieving widow. Taps was played. Hundreds of police motorcycles from departments all over the country sped in blazing tribute, the Emerald Society band played its pipes and drums and the hearse slowly drove away through Brooklyn streets lined with thousands and thousands making their final salute to their fallen brother. The ceremony over I thanked members of the band and said goodbye to Commisioner Bratton, wishing him well in the tough days and weeks ahead. Two funerals of two brave cops in eight days. Two families devastated with anguish. A police department suffering the loss of two brothers. A city struggling to recover. And a citizenry realizing just how much the brave men and women of the NYPD deserve the support of all good people. Det. Wen Jian Liu RIP Det. Rafael Ramos RIP
Posted on: Mon, 05 Jan 2015 02:58:56 +0000
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