Uniformed police officers from across the U.S. gathered Saturday afternoon at the wake of the second New York Police Department officer killed in an ambush shooting last month.
The wake for Wenjian Liu came a week after the funeral for his police partner, Rafael Ramos.
A photo posted by Horace Lu (@horace0714) on Jan 1, 2015 at 7:26am PST
Liu and Ramos were ambushed sitting in their patrol car on a Brooklyn street by Ismaaiyl Brinsley. Brinsley had made references online to the killings of unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers, vowing to put "wings on pigs."
Investigators said Brinsley was an emotionally disturbed loner who started off his rampage by shooting and wounding an ex-girlfriend in Baltimore. He later killed himself.
Among those attending Saturday's wake in Brooklyn were about 20 officers from the Los Angeles Police Department. Los Angeles Officer Hannu Tarjamo called the killings an "act of savagery that should be condemned by society."
20 LAPD officers arrived @ Wenjian Liu's wake in BK. LAPD Officer Hannu Tarjamo said the NYPD assassinations hit home pic.twitter.com/z7qlENBi5D— Vincent Barone (@vinbarone) January 3, 2015
Members of the NYPD, alongside Commissioner William Bratton, were seen gathering outside the wake just after noon on Saturday.
Quite a sight as officers from Officer Liu's 84th precinct gather to enter funeral home for wake. pic.twitter.com/hUdz1NoujO— tina susman (@tinasusman) January 3, 2015
Police commissioner Bratton has arrived at the the wake for slain NYPD Det Wenjian Liu @ABC7NY pic.twitter.com/fT5rS10wmo— Lucy Yang (@LucyYang7) January 3, 2015
They marched in a procession, as the wake began just after 1 p.m. ET.
Members of the community hung signs nearby, offering support for the fallen Chinese-American officer.
Guan Zi Yuan, 76, hangs a calligraphy sign of condolences for slain #NYPD officer Wenjian Liu. pic.twitter.com/YXLXzpiMHk— Nicole Fuller (@nicolefuller) January 3, 2015
Banners in support of slain #NYPD Det. Wenjian Liu hang on a business outside the funeral home pic.twitter.com/jy1bt98RGM— Nicole Fuller (@nicolefuller) January 3, 2015
Commissioner urges respect, not protest
NYPD Police Commissioner William Bratton on Saturday urged the rank-and-file to refrain from making political statements.
"A hero's funeral is about grieving, not grievance," Bratton said in a memo to be read to all commands at roll calls on Saturday, the day of Liu's wake. "I issue no mandates, and I make no threats of discipline, but I remind you that when you don the uniform of this department, you are bound by the tradition, honor and decency that go with it."
Bratton's comments referred to hundreds of officers who turned their backs to giant TV monitors displaying New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, while he spoke at the funeral for Rafael Ramos last week.
Thousands more cops turn their backs on @deBlasioNYC as he eulogizes #NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos. pic.twitter.com/P8vA8bDNUP— James Ford (@jamesfordtv) December 27, 2014
That gesture mimicked one made by police union officials outside a hospital two weeks ago after the officers were killed.
Union officials, who are negotiating a contract with the city, have said the gestures were made out of frustration with de Blasio. They say the mayor helped foster an anti-police atmosphere by supporting demonstrations following the chokehold death of an unarmed black man on Staten Island by a white officer.
Additional reporting by Mashable