NEW YORK – It has been a rough week for law enforcement personnel across the country as officers have been wounded in several cities and killed in others.
However, one place that Blue Lives Mattered was outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on Friday, according to a report.
“Perhaps not since America welcomed its victorious legions home from Europe in 1945 have New York’s streets seen a uniformed presence quite like the blue wall that stood tall in Fifth Avenue Friday. They had come to honor the sacrifice of NYPD Officer Jason Rivera — murdered at 22 in service to a too-often-ungrateful city,” the New York Post reported.
Officer Wilbert Mora also died in the attack by a crazed gunman in a Harlem apartment last week. He will be laid to rest on Wednesday.
Literally thousands of uniformed officers stood shoulder to shoulder on the packed boulevard for blocks. They remained respectfully silent yet making a loud statement that for this one day, on this one occasion, they had had enough of being scapegoats for a society lately lacking the self-respect to resist both its criminals, and perhaps even worse, politicians who act as apologists for the vile evil-doers in society, according to the Post.
Dominique Luzuriaga, Rivera’s bride of a very short three-plus months, captivated the hearts and minds of those in attendance. She told the assembled audience during the memorial service that she learned of a police shooting on social media — and then, speaking to her husband, continued: “I immediately texted you and asked you, ‘are you okay. Please tell me you are okay.’ And, of course, he was not okay.”
Rookie NYPD Officer Jason Rivera’s death should not be in vain. (NYPD)
The grieving young widow echoed a national sentiment experienced by law enforcement officers. “The system” has been corrupted by pandering office-holders.
“The system continues to fail us,” Luzuriaga said. “We are not safe anymore, not even members of the service. I know you were tired of these new laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope he’s watching.”
Indeed, he was. Manhattan’s new district attorney, Alvin Bragg, was among Friday’s mourners, the Post reported.
However, it’s not just Bragg. The problem is deeply embedded.
Consider this, the Post noted: “If the ex-con who murdered Rivera and Mora hadn’t shot them, but rather surrendered his semi-automatic pistol and assault-style rifle to cops, he would have been eligible for no-bail release from Harlem’s 32nd Precinct as soon as the arrest forms were completed.”
Earlier in the week a Bronx judge allowed an alleged cop-shooter out on bail.
The suspect who is reportedly a rising New York City rapper was charged with shooting an NYPD officer and shows off multiple weapons in his music videos while threatening rivals that he won’t miss when he decides to open fire.
Responded PBA president Pat Lynch: “If anybody wants to know why we have a crisis of violence in this city, or why we’re about to bury two hero police officers, look no further than this disgraceful bail release.”
