2014 killings of NYPD officers: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 40°41′43″N 73°56′45″W / 40.695217°N 73.945735°W / 40.695217; -73.945735
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==Background==
==Background==
The shooting occurred just weeks after a grand jury decided not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, who was involved in the [[death of Eric Garner]] on July 17, 2014.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/03/chokehold-grand-jury/19804577/| author=Melanie Eversley and Mike James| title=No charges in NYC chokehold death; federal inquiry launched| newspaper=USA Today| date=December 4, 2014}}</ref> The [[grand jury]]'s decision resulted in widespread protests in New York City and across the nation against police brutality and the lack of accountability.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/13/marchers-protest-police-brutality-new-york-washington-boston| author=Lauren Gambino, Steven W Thrasher and Kayla Epstein| title=Thousands march to protest against police brutality in major US cities| newspaper=The Guardian| date=December 14, 2014}}</ref> The protests also coincided with [[2014 Ferguson unrest|widespread protests]] in response to a grand jury's decision not to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot [[Shooting of Michael Brown|Michael Brown]] in [[Ferguson, Missouri]] on August 9,<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/us/ferguson-darren-wilson-shooting-michael-brown-grand-jury.html| author=MONICA DAVEY and JULIE BOSMAN| title=Protests Flare After Ferguson Police Officer Is Not Indicted| newspaper=New York Times| date=November 24, 2014}}</ref> as well as against [[Shooting of Tamir Rice|the shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.ibtimes.com/eric-garner-mike-brown-tamir-rice-police-protests-planned-weekend-1736826| author=Meagan Clark| title=Eric Garner, Mike Brown, Tamir Rice Police Protests Planned For This Weekend| publisher=International Business Times| date=December 5, 2014}}</ref>
The shooting occurred just weeks after a grand jury decided not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, who was involved in the [[death of Eric Garner]] on July 17, 2014.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/12/03/chokehold-grand-jury/19804577/| author=Melanie Eversley and Mike James| title=No charges in NYC chokehold death; federal inquiry launched| newspaper=USA Today| date=December 4, 2014}}</ref> The [[grand jury]]'s decision resulted in widespread protests in New York City and across the nation against police brutality and the lack of accountability.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/13/marchers-protest-police-brutality-new-york-washington-boston| author=Lauren Gambino, Steven W Thrasher and Kayla Epstein| title=Thousands march to protest against police brutality in major US cities| newspaper=The Guardian| date=December 14, 2014}}</ref> The protests also coincided with [[2014 Ferguson unrest|widespread protests]] in response to a grand jury's decision not to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot [[Shooting of Michael Brown|Michael Brown]] in [[Ferguson, Missouri]] on August 9.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/us/ferguson-darren-wilson-shooting-michael-brown-grand-jury.html| author=MONICA DAVEY and JULIE BOSMAN| title=Protests Flare After Ferguson Police Officer Is Not Indicted| newspaper=New York Times| date=November 24, 2014}}</ref>

==Shooting==
==Shooting==
The shooting occurred at [[Myrtle Avenue]] and Tompkins Avenue, a busy intersection in Brooklyn near the Tompkins Houses.<ref name=nyt141221/> Brinsley approached the passenger window of an NYPD patrol car occupied by Rafael Ramos, aged 40, and Wenjian Liu, aged 32. He shot the two officers multiple times in their heads and upper bodies with a semiautomatic handgun. After NYPD officers responding to the scene chased him onto the subway, Brinsley then committed suicide with the handgun.<ref name=nyt141221/>
The shooting occurred at [[Myrtle Avenue]] and Tompkins Avenue, a busy intersection in Brooklyn near the Tompkins Houses.<ref name=nyt141221/> Brinsley approached the passenger window of an NYPD patrol car occupied by Rafael Ramos, aged 40, and Wenjian Liu, aged 32. He shot the two officers multiple times in their heads and upper bodies with a semiautomatic handgun. After NYPD officers responding to the scene chased him onto the subway, Brinsley then committed suicide with the handgun.<ref name=nyt141221/>

Revision as of 20:44, 28 December 2014

2014 NYPD officer killings
LocationBedford–Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Coordinates40°41′43″N 73°56′45″W / 40.695217°N 73.945735°W / 40.695217; -73.945735
DateDecember 20, 2014
2:47 p.m. (EST)
Attack type
Murder–suicide
WeaponsTaurus PT92
Deaths3 (including the perpetrator)
VictimsNYPD officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos
PerpetratorIsmaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley
MotiveRevenge for the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown

On December 20, 2014, Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley killed two New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood of the New York City borough of Brooklyn, ostensibly as revenge for the death of Eric Garner and the shooting of Michael Brown.[1][2][3] Brinsley then fled into the New York City Subway, where, according to police, he committed suicide.[3]

Background

The shooting occurred just weeks after a grand jury decided not to indict NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo, who was involved in the death of Eric Garner on July 17, 2014.[4] The grand jury's decision resulted in widespread protests in New York City and across the nation against police brutality and the lack of accountability.[5] The protests also coincided with widespread protests in response to a grand jury's decision not to indict Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9.[6]

Shooting

The shooting occurred at Myrtle Avenue and Tompkins Avenue, a busy intersection in Brooklyn near the Tompkins Houses.[3] Brinsley approached the passenger window of an NYPD patrol car occupied by Rafael Ramos, aged 40, and Wenjian Liu, aged 32. He shot the two officers multiple times in their heads and upper bodies with a semiautomatic handgun. After NYPD officers responding to the scene chased him onto the subway, Brinsley then committed suicide with the handgun.[3]

Victims

Wenjian Liu (simplified Chinese: 刘文健; traditional Chinese: 劉文健; pinyin: Liú Wénjiàn),[7] 32, was the only son of Chinese immigrants. He and his family came to the United States from Taishan, Guangdong, when he was a teenager. He was a seven-year veteran officer of the NYPD who had married in October 2014.[8] He had no children.[9][10]

Rafael Ramos, 40, was married with two sons and had joined the NYPD as a school safety agent, becoming an officer in January 2012.[11] He was active in his church, Christ Tabernacle in Glendale, Queens,[8] and had once studied at a seminary. He had just completed a training course to become a volunteer chaplain.[12] He hoped to join the ministry when he retired from the police force.

The Silver Shield Foundation, founded by the late New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, announced it would pay for the education of Ramos' 13-year-old son. Bowdoin College said it would provide full financial aid to Ramos' elder son, who is a sophomore at the school, so he could complete his education.[13]

Assailant

Ismaaiyl Abdullah Brinsley (October 31, 1986 – December 20, 2014) had a long criminal record and was estranged from his family prior to the shooting. He was born in Brooklyn to a Muslim African-American family. He had an arrest record for weapons possession and robbery, which amounted to a total of 19 arrests in Georgia and Ohio. He was convicted of felony gun possession in Georgia, where he was living at the time of the shooting.[14][15] Brinsley had attempted suicide a year ago.[15][16] Brinsley allegedly had ties to the Black Guerrilla Family, a prison gang that was reportedly planning revenge attacks on police officers according to police informants.[17] An unnamed federal law enforcement source has been quoted as saying there were no apparent ties.[18] Daniel McCall, who was appointed to represent Brinsley in Georgia, said Brinsley was not difficult to represent and that no psychiatric problems were noticed at that time.[8]

Before he arrived in Brooklyn by bus, Brinsley had shot and seriously wounded an ex-girlfriend in Maryland – in the Baltimore suburb of Owings Mills – on Saturday morning. Shaneka Nicole Thompson, aged 29, was shot in the abdomen, but survived and was in stable condition. According to investigators who questioned Thompson, she and Brinsley argued when he arrived.[19] After the shooting, Brinsley reportedly called Thompson's mother and other family members and claimed the shooting was an accident.[20] The assailant wrote on his Instagram account of his intentions to kill police as retribution for the recent deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. In the post, which he made later that day while on a bus to New York City, he wrote, "I'm putting Wings on Pigs Today ... They Take 1 of Ours ... Lets Take 2 of Theirs. [sic]"[21] By then, the Baltimore Police Department had been tracking Brinsley's movements from Baltimore to New York, and sent a fax to the NYPD about his intentions just a minute before the killings occurred.[22]

Reactions

Government officials, current and former

U.S. President Barack Obama stated, "I unconditionally condemn today's murder of two police officers in New York City. Two brave men won't be going home to their loved ones tonight, and for that, there is no justification. The officers who serve and protect our communities risk their own safety for ours every single day - and they deserve our respect and gratitude every single day. Tonight, I ask people to reject violence and words that harm, and turn to words that heal - prayer, patient dialogue, and sympathy for the friends and family of the fallen."[23]

Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, a former police officer, said, "Those who were calling for police reform were not calling for police retribution... blood is not on the hands of the mayor."[24]

Former New York Governor George Pataki blamed current officials. He tweeted, "Sickened by these barbaric acts, which sadly are a predictable outcome of divisive anti-cop rhetoric of Eric Holder and Mayor de Blasio." The former Mayor, Rudolph Giuliani, responded that this is untrue and categorized this rhetoric as an over reaction.[25]

Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani accused Obama of creating a hostile environment toward the police, stating: "We've had four months of propaganda starting with the President, that everybody should hate the police. I don't care how you want to describe it, that's what those protests are all about."[26]

NYPD officers and police union

As New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and his entourage walked through the third-floor corridor of Brooklyn's Woodhull Hospital, where the two police officers had been pronounced dead hours earlier, dozens of NYPD police silently turned their backs on the mayor in protest for his perceived lack of support for them.[27] Earlier, de Blasio had approached a group of cops in the hospital and told them, "We're all in this together." In response, one officer said, "No we're not."[28]

The president of the police union group Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, Patrick J. Lynch, blamed New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and the protesters of the grand jury acquittal in the Garner case for inciting hostility toward the NYPD. He said, "There's blood on many hands tonight. Those that incited violence on the street in the guise of protest, that tried to tear down what New York City police officers did every day. We tried to warn it must not go on, it shouldn't be tolerated. That blood on the hands starts at the steps of City Hall in the office of the mayor."[29][30]

Civil rights groups

Protest organizer Charles Wade said about civil rights groups, "We've all said that this is a horrible thing that shouldn't have happened. I say time and time again that I'm against police violence, and I'm not against police officers in general. I have an issue with improper policing, police violence and police impunity." Reverend Al Sharpton said, "From the beginning, we have stressed that this is a pursuit of justice to make the system work fairly for everyone. This is not about trying to take things into our own hands. That does not solve the problem of police brutality."[31]

The public

Pastor Michael A. Walrond Jr. of the First Corinthian Baptist Church in Harlem, said, "This tragic moment may be an opportunity for people to understand each other. The pain of a mother whose son lay dead on the ground is the same pain of a 13-year-old boy who lost his police officer father. My hope is that this will shock people into coming together."[32]

According to The Daily Beast, some bystanders at the crime scene reportedly cheered and expressed their support for the attack.[33] According to The Daily Caller, some Twitter users also tweeted their approval for the killings after they occurred.[34]

Entertainment

Many rappers, such as The Game, Azealia Banks, and Lecrae, also posted to Twitter, denouncing the murder-suicide.[35]

Media

Bob McManus, a columnist for the New York Post, criticized government officials for failing to condemn the blood-lust of protesters who demanded "dead cops" in retaliation for the death of Eric Garner.[36] While not blaming the shooting on political leaders, an editorial in The Wall Street Journal argued that political leaders failed to respond to the protesters' chant—"What do we want? Dead cops."—and that such a failure "contributed to a public climate of suspicion and hate against police in which a man like Ismaaiyl Brinsley can in his deranged mind think it is justified to stalk and execute two cops on the beat."[37] Newsday defended NYC Mayor de Blasio, saying he did not create the animosity towards the police, which is long standing in some quarters; the editorial pointed out that the Mayor spoke out against previous physical attacks on police officers by protesters.[38]

As a result of the protest movement, there have also been calls to reform or abolish the grand jury process.[39][40]

Families

Jaden Ramos, son of Officer Ramos, posted on Facebook, "Today I had to say bye to my father. He was [there] for me every day of my life, he was the best father I could ask for. It's horrible that someone gets shot dead just for being a police officer. Everyone says they hate cops but they are the people that they call for help. I will always love you and I will never forget you. RIP Dad."[41]

Esaw Garner, widow of Eric Garner, said, "I know what they're going through to lose a loved one right before the holidays, and everything is so sad, and I would ask that everyone that is protesting with us, please protest in a nonviolent way. My husband was not a violent man so we don't want any violence connected to his name."[23]

Aftermath

On December 22, de Blasio asked that anti-police protestors "suspend demonstrations." Earlier in the day, NYPD Commissioner William Bratton said the killings were a "direct spinoff of this issue [of the protests]..." Some protesters issued blanket condemnations of the police as "racists and worse" according to The New York Times. While the investigations into Brinsley's motivation continues, Bratton has concluded that "the protests served as an inspiration for the disturbed man."[42][43]

Six people were arrested for making terroristic threats against NYPD officers in the week following the shooting.[44]

See Also

References

  1. ^ "Gunman executes 2 NYPD cops as 'revenge' for Garner". New York Post.
  2. ^ "Two NYPD Cops 'Assassinated' in Brooklyn Ambush". ABC News.
  3. ^ a b c d Mueller, Benjamin; Baker, Al (December 20, 2014). "Two N.Y.P.D. Officers Are Killed in Brooklyn Ambush; Suspect Commits Suicide". The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  4. ^ Melanie Eversley and Mike James (December 4, 2014). "No charges in NYC chokehold death; federal inquiry launched". USA Today.
  5. ^ Lauren Gambino, Steven W Thrasher and Kayla Epstein (December 14, 2014). "Thousands march to protest against police brutality in major US cities". The Guardian.
  6. ^ MONICA DAVEY and JULIE BOSMAN (November 24, 2014). "Protests Flare After Ferguson Police Officer Is Not Indicted". New York Times.
  7. ^ "NYPD talks to suspect's ex-girlfriend" 纽约杀警犯前女友邻居透露更多细节. Epoch Times (in Chinese). December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2014.
  8. ^ a b c "Key developments in case of 2 slain NYPD officers". Miami Herald. December 23, 2014.
  9. ^ "Slain NYPD Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu Remembered". Wall Street Journal. December 21, 2014.
  10. ^ "Officers Wen Jian Liu, Rafael Ramos took different paths to NYPD". Newsday. December 20, 2014.
  11. ^ Dan Good (December 22, 2014). "Slain NYPD Officers Remembered for Community, Family Dedication". ABC News.
  12. ^ Shamar Walters (December 23, 2014). "NYPD Officer Ramos Killed One Hour Before Chaplain Graduation Ceremony". NBC News.
  13. ^ "Yankees will pay for education of children of NYPD cop Rafael Ramos who was killed while on duty Saturday". New York Daily News. December 22, 2014.
  14. ^ J. David Goodman (December 20, 2014). "Police Combing Through Shooting Suspect's Arrest History and Violent Day". The New York Times.
  15. ^ a b Rebecca Davis O’Brien (December 21, 2014). "Ismaaiyl Brinsley Led Life of Trouble Before Attack". Wall Street Journal.
  16. ^ Barry Paddock (December 21, 2014). "Cop killer Ismaaiyl Brinsley had a long criminal record, was violent and suicidal, and frightened his mom: police". The New York Daily News.
  17. ^ Tina Moore and Bill Hutchinson (December 20, 2014). "Police believe New York City cop killer was a member of the Black Guerrilla Family: sources". New York Daily News.
  18. ^ Igor Bobic (December 21, 2014). "Feds Deny NYPD Cop Killer Had Ties To Black Guerilla Family Prison Gang". Huffington Post.
  19. ^ Ashley Fantz, Josh Berlinger and Shimon Prokupecz (December 21, 2014). "NYC cop killer had criminal record and angry social media posts, police say". CNN.
  20. ^ Rebecca Davis O’Brien, Pervaiz Shallwani and Scott Calvert (December 21, 2014). "Ismaaiyl Brinsley Led Life of Trouble Before Attack". Wall Street Journal.
  21. ^ Peter Holley (December 20, 2014). "Two New York City police officers are shot and killed in a brazen ambush in Brooklyn". Washington Post. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
  22. ^ "Baltimore County police sent a fax and teletype message to the New York Police department". Slate Magazine.
  23. ^ a b "What's Being Said About Killings of 2 NYC Officers". Associated Press. December 21, 2014.
  24. ^ Sean Sullivan (December 21, 2014). "Political figures clash after slaying of NYPD officers". Washington Post.
  25. ^ Faith Karimi; Ashley Fantz (December 21, 2014). "Backlash, finger-pointing begin after 2 NYPD officers are ambushed, killed". CNN.
  26. ^ Jeremy Diamond (December 21, 2014). "Blame piles on NYC mayor for cop shooting". CNN.
  27. ^ "NYC's Mayor Bill de Blasio weathers blowback on police reform after cop slayings". Yahoo News. December 21, 2014.
  28. ^ "Police turn their back on de Blasio". New York Post. December 20, 2014.
  29. ^ Darran Simon; Ted Phillips (December 21, 2014). "Police union links cop killings to protests; NYPD critics condemn shootings". Newsday.
  30. ^ "'Blood on Many Hands': Police union president slams De Blasio after cops' killing". Fox News. December 21, 2014.
  31. ^ Wesley Lowery (December 21, 2014). "Protest leaders seek to distance budding movement from New York police killings". Washington Post.
  32. ^ Chris Dolmetsch and Henry Goldman (December 22, 2014). "People Call for Cooling of Racial Tensions After Murder of NYPD Officers". Businessweek.com.
  33. ^ M.L. Nestel (December 20, 2014). "Anger at The Cop Killer - And The Police". The Daily Beast.
  34. ^ "MONSTERS: People Take To Twitter To Celebrate NYPD Murders". The Daily Caller.
  35. ^ "Hip-Hop Community Reacts to NYPD Officer Shootings in Brooklyn - Billboard". Billboard.
  36. ^ Bob McManus (December 21, 2014). "There is blood on hands of those who demanded 'dead cops'". New York Post.
  37. ^ "Progressives and the Police: Politicians who campaign against cops are inviting mayhem". Wall Street Journal. December 21, 2014.
  38. ^ "Mayor must hold city together after police killings". Newsday. December 21, 2014.
  39. ^ Tierney Sneed (December 12, 2014). "Garner, Brown Decisions Spark Calls for Grand Jury Reform". US News & World Report.
  40. ^ James C. Harrington (December 21, 2014). "Abolish grand jury system". San Antonio Express-News.
  41. ^ Thomas Tracy; Ryan Sit (December 21, 2014). "13-year-old son of slain NYPD cop Rafael Ramos mourns father on Facebook: 'I will always love you and I will never forget you. RIP Dad.'". New York Daily News.
  42. ^ Marc Santora (December 22, 2014). "Mayor de Blasio Calls for Suspension of Protests". New York Times.
  43. ^ Jonathan Allen; Laila Kearney (December 22, 2014). "New York mayor calls for pause in protests after police killings". Reuters.
  44. ^ "Two more NY men arrested in threats against police", Reuters, December 25, 2014.
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