Police Commissioner Bratton and families of slain police officers give tribute in Times Square
One week before the start of National Police Week, Police Commissioner William Bratton and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund joined families of slain officers in Times Square on Wednesday to pay tribute to more than 270 officers who died in the line of duty around the country last year.
The tribute began with a moment of silence to remember fallen officer, Brian Moore, who died from his injuries on Monday after being allegedly shot in the head by suspect Debmetrius Blackwell. Moore became the fifth officer to die in the line of duty in many months.
“I am proud to be part of this important tribute to honor all the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for the communities they served,” said Police Commissioner Bratton. “I would like to acknowledge those officers from our New York City community who are being honored this year, including Dennis E Guerra, WenJian Liu, Rafael L Ramos, Michael C Williams, and Thomas K Choi. This campaign reflects the integrity, dignity, and pride these Americans displayed every day.”
The tribute included a massive digital billboard that displayed photographed images of the many police officers killed in the line of duty.
The families of Officer Dennis Guerra, Officer Michael Williams, Officer Rafael L Ramos, and others joined Commissioner Bratton in honoring their loved ones.
“People truly take the job for granted. You know they’re out there to make our community safe,” said Kathy Guerra, whose husband, Officer Dennis Guerra, was killed trying to save people in an arson fire in Coney Island. “People don’t understand the job that these officers do. They get up in the morning, not knowing if they’re going to return home.”
Gary Johanson spoke about his nephew, Officer Michael Williams, who was killed in the Bronx on his way to an assignment.
“In his time patrolling the streets of the 47th Precinct, he reached out to many young people in the neighborhood and showed a positive and human side to the person wearing the uniform,” Johanson said. “Michael always wanted to be a cop. Nothing else would do.”
The police officers who died in the line of duty over the last year will have their names engraved in the National Police Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Police Week begins Sunday, May 10th and will run to Saturday, May 16th.
