Mourners Pay Respects At Wake For NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora, 2nd Officer To Die After Harlem Ambush
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mourners paid their respects Tuesday at a wake for fallen NYPD Officer Wilbert Mora.
Mora's body arrived Tuesday morning at St. Patrick's Cathedral, met by his brothers and sisters in blue lined up outside.
More and his partner Jason Rivera were ambushed and shot while responding to a domestic call in Harlem on Jan. 21.
CBS2's Dave Carlin reports it was another gut-wrenching day for the NYPD.
The wake began at 1 p.m., attended by thousands of officers, some from departments hundreds of miles away. Also paying respects are elected officials and members of the public, honoring the memory of a hero, supporting his family, and hoping to heal some of the city's heartbreak.
Tuesday morning, a somber journey began from a funeral home in Inwood to the front of St Patrick's Cathedral on Fifth Avenue. Officers raised their arms in salute, while others lent their shoulders, carrying Mora to bring him ever closer to his final resting place.
Ten minutes later, Mora's family went inside.
Some of those who knew the officer best described him as a gentle giant, fiercely loyal, and warm and generous.
Mora joined the academy in October 2018 and the following year was assigned to the 32nd precinct in Harlem. He made 35 arrests.
Love and gratitude from those who knew him and from strangers, moved to show up and pray.
"Start praying, now more than ever. And for me now, this has to stop. It has to stop. Not on my watch. No more," said Flushing resident Larry Smith.
"I respect them, and I'm thankful we have them," said tourist Sharmayne Silverman.
"It's hard to say anything good can come out of this, except it's sort of a moment of realization about how brave our officers are and about how we need to get guns off the street," Larchmont resident Margery Mayer told CBS2's John Dias.
Mora and his 22-year-old partner Det. Jason Rivera were ambushed and fatally shot Jan. 21 while inside a Harlem apartment on a domestic violence call. Rivera died the same night, and was laid to rest last week.
Mora was placed on life support, and before his death, his organs were recovered to transplant in others, which has been his wish.
His life is a lesson in service, bravery and sacrifice, and a tragic reminder how officers put their own lives on the line for us.
"They are our heroes, every day out there on the front lines protecting us," a Midtown resident added. "We owe a debt of gratitude to all of them."
"This saddens my heart, my soul," Westchester resident Andrea Naughton told CBS2's Dick Brennan.
Naughton said she came to pay respects because Mora was a hero for the whole city.
"I have a daughter, 25 years old, and just to go into the church and see this young man who just started life, to give his life to keep the civilians safe, taken away so soon. It's just so sad," she said.
"It's so sad. I've been grieving since the night it happened. I was hoping Officer Mora would pull through, that's why I had to come," Ozone Park resident Pat Brittan said.
"My heart goes out to the Mora family, the Rivera family ... for doing God's work," Clinton Hill resident Patrick Toussaint said.
Loved ones will tell you, Mora was as tall as he was brave. But he will also be remembered for his gentle, kind-hearted spirit.
"It's sad, such a big guy, a hero, someone who cares about everyone, to be in that situation," friend Dr. Omid Nikrouz said.
Many who attended Tuesday's wake say they want New York to be a safer place.
"Our city's a mess, and we need to claim it back from these monsters," one person said.
Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain himself, was among the mourners. He was joined by many other retired officers, including Carlton Berkley, who was gratified by the outpouring of support.
"Once you're NYPD, whether you're retired or not, you still feel the heartache. That's why I was compelled to come down here to pay my respects," Berkley said.
"It could have been my son. It could have been my friend, my neighbor, but I feel like they're all part of one big family, so it's really very tragic," Upper East Side resident Vivian Hammer said.
CBS News New York will stream the funeral service for Mora live at 10 a.m. Wednesday. It will also air live on WLNY-TV 10/55.
John Dias and Dave Carlin contributed to this report.