Somberly reflecting on the murders of officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, the 108th Precinct in Long Island City hosted a vigil Monday. The pair were shot while sitting in their patrol car in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn by a Baltimore resident, Isaaiyl Brinsley, on Saturday.
The attack is alleged to be a response to a grand jury’s decision not to indict officers in the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown this summer.
The shooter also took his own life in a subway station near the crime scene.
“We are all saddened and outraged,” Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) said. “We’re also here to let all the officers who are here with us and who are out there working know that we support them and we want them to know that we as a community value their work, their service, their sacrifice and that nothing can ever change that.”
The vigil, which took place outside of the precinct, was one of many ceremonies held across the city in honor of the two fallen NYPD officers.
Bowing his head, Pastor Jake Zaske of Trinity Grace Church in Long Island City prayed for the families of the two officers and to “cover this precinct with a blessing from above.
“We ask for unity in our city, we cry out for unity in our city,” Zaske continued. “Our deep desire as our candles are lit today is that these lights in the midst of the darkness would represent the hope that we have.”
Pastor Jon Storck from Grace Fellowship Church in Sunnyside asked the community to “hold onto the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and remind the rest of our nation through our example that ‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.’”
The Rev. Carlos Velazquez, a priest at St. Sebastian’s in Woodside, took the opportunity to thank all NYPD officers and remind them how much they are loved, appreciated and prayed for on a continual basis.
“We know that being an officer, especially in the largest city in the world, is not an easy task and your service is greatly appreciated because through your work, through your service we are able to have a safe and a beautiful city to live in,” he said.
Capt. John Travaglia, commanding officer of the 108th Precinct, thanked the community for the outpouring of support.
“We in this community are a model, a beacon of light in this darkness for the city to follow,” he said. “We are a united community, which is always striving for better.”
He said that he was touched to look out and see the officers from his precinct intertwined with the community and said it “speaks volumes” about the way we police this city and live our lives.
Despite his 22 years in law enforcement, Travaglia said he still finds the tragedy inconceivable and incomprehensible. He pointed out that all officers know the great risks and rewards of their profession and experience both.
“I wish eternal rest upon Police Officer Rafael Ramos and Police Officer Wenjian Liu. The work we do here from this day on will celebrate their lives forever,” Travaglia said.
Travaglia recounted his experience on Sept. 11, 2001, when he was a sergeant assigned to desk duty, attempting to account for the whereabouts of all the officers in his command.
“My eyes were watering, my throat had a lump in it. I was barely functioning. A 35-year police detective veteran grabbed me. He said, ‘Keep it together. We are the police. We will get through this. We have no choice.’ We did get through those dark days.
“Today I will tell you as a community, we will get through these dark times. We have no choice. All of us are part of this great New York City community. We are the police. We are your police.”
Several officers from the 108th precinct thanked everyone for coming and said they’ve always felt supported by the community and Monday night was a reflection of that.
