Councilman David Greenfield Leads Rally In Support Of NYPD At 66th Precinct
Following the horrific murder of Police Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in Bed-Stuyvesant on Saturday, more than 150 community members joined Councilman David Greenfield for a rally on Tuesday afternoon to support the NYPD outside the 66th Precinct, which covers Kensington, Midwood and Borough Park.
“I really do believe the police is family,” Greenfield said at the rally, which was held at the station house at 5822 16th Avenue and was videotaped by The Yeshiva World News. “When I speak to my children, and I tell my little children, ‘If you get lost and you’re in a public space, you can look for one of two people – either a relative or a police officer.’ There are 35,000 police officers – I don’t know them all, but we trust if you put on the uniform and you put on the badge and your swear the oath, we can trust you.
“And so when we have a situation where we have literally our relatives – two police officers – who are murdered in cold blood simply for being police officers, it’s not just a moment of sadness, it’s not just a moment of hurt, it’s a moment also of outrage for us as New Yorkers,” Greenfield continued. “Every New Yorker needs to be outraged about what happens because every police officer is our family member.”
According to the NYPD, Ismaaiyl Brinsley traveled from Baltimore to the city with the intent of killing police officers. While Liu, of Gravesend, and Ramos, of Cypress Hills, were guarding a Bedford-Stuyvesant housing project, Brinsley walked up to the marked patrol car’s passenger side window and fired several rounds into the officers, who never drew their weapons, police said.
As the New York Times reported:
The slaying of Officers Liu and Ramos came at a moment of heightened tension between the police and communities across the country, after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, an unarmed man in Ferguson. Mo., and the death of Eric Garner, a Staten Island man, during an arrest. After a grand jury did not indict a police officer in the death of Mr. Garner, waves of protesters have been demonstrating in the streets of New York.
While they were mostly peaceful, the focus of much of the protesters’ anger has been directed at police officers, calling for reforms but also at times, lashing out with vicious, personal invectives directed at police officers.
When Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, arrived in New York on Saturday morning, he had made clear on social media sites that he wanted to kill police officers.
In his mind, the police said, the protests over the Garner case served as some sort of inspiration.
The murder of the officers have sparked pro-police rallies across the city, and Greenfield’s office said the diverse crowd that attended Tuesday’s event at the 66th Precinct was “a testament to the strong relationship the local precinct has with the community.” Among those in attendance were 66th Precinct Commanding Officer Michael Deddo, Borough Park Shomrim members, state Sen. Simcha Felder, Councilman Brad Lander, Councilman Carlos Menchaca,Community Board 12 Chairman Yidel Perlstein, CB 12 District Manager Barry Spitzer, nonprofit leaders, school administrators, community board members, and local religious leaders.
“We all mourn the loss of two of New York City’s Finest who were killed in the line of duty,” Felder said in a press release issued by Greenfield’s office. “Police Officers Liu and Ramos made the ultimate sacrifice. We extend our deepest condolences to their families, and to their fellow officers throughout the New York City Police Department.”
At the rally, Greenfield passed out fliers of an NYPD badge with a black mourning band to attendees, asking them to place in their windows to show support for the NYPD during this difficult time. Anyone who would like to receive a free flier for his or her own home or business is encouraged to call Greenfield’s office at (718) 853-2704.
To find out how you can support the families of Liu and Ramos, you can go here.