Dozens of people have joined a candlelight vigil for the two New York police officers shot dead in their patrol car on Saturday. Their murders were
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Dozens of people have joined a candlelight vigil for the two New York police officers shot dead in their patrol car on Saturday.
Their murders were the work of a 28-year-old man who claimed on Social Media he was avenging the recent killings of African Americans Michael Brown and Eric Garner by the police.
The two dead NYPD officers were 40-year-old Rafael Ramos and 32- year-old Wenjian Liu who were on patrol in Brooklyn.
Police investigators said they had no time to react when Brinsley appeared next to their vehicle and fired a semi-automatic handgun at them.
Officials say their killer turned his gun on himself shortly after his attack.
US President Barack Obama has condemned the killings.
Once again, as tensions threatened to boil over, relatives of the officers appealed for calm.
“I hope and pray that we can reflect on this tragic loss of lives that have occurred so that we can move forward and find an amicable path to a peaceful coexistence,” said Lucy Ramos, an aunt of fallen NYPD Police Officer Rafael Ramos.
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams told the media that the men were “more than just police officers, they were someone’s son, they were a husband and they were a dad…we all mourn together.”
Nationwide, the murders have left police forces on edge. Hours after the New York double killing, another on duty police officer was shot dead in Tampa, Florida.