NYPD Officers Turn Backs On Mayor During Funeral For Slain Officer Ramos
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- As Mayor Bill de Blasio spoke at the funeral for NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos Saturday morning, hundreds of Ramos' brothers and sisters in blue sent a message to the mayor.
Officers outside of the church could be seen turning their backs to the Jumbotron screen broadcasting the service as de Blasio spoke, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
Ramos and NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu were assassinated by a lone gunman one week ago today while sitting in their patrol car in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn.
Following the shooting, police union officials blasted the mayor, claiming the blood of the two officers were on his hands.
And as de Blasio visited Woodhull Medical Center last Saturday, where Liu and Ramos were pronounced dead, officers were seen in video obtained by CBS News silently turning their backs on the mayor.
The Mayor's office released a statement in response to the officers' choice to turn their backs.
"The Ramos and Liu families, our police department and our city are dealing with an unconscionable tragedy," spokesman Wiley Norvell said in the statement. "Our sole focus is unifying this city and honoring the lives of our two police officers."
On Saturday, PBA President Patrick Lynch made a statement outside the funeral, but didn't address the officers' actions while the mayor spoke.
PBA President Thanks Officers From All Over For Support
Lynch told WCBS 880's Rich Lamb the support the department has received from across all over the country has been "unbelievable."
"Our department's uniforms might be different colors, our shields might be different shapes but the sorrow and dedication is exactly the same," Lynch said. "And we appreciate them traveling so far to stand patch to patch with us for this great family."
Mourners inside the church on Saturday offered applause before and after de Blasio spoke.
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