Tunnel To Towers Foundation To Take Over Mortgages Of NYPD Cops Killed In Brooklyn
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation will be taking over the mortgage payments on both of the homes of the two NYPD officers who were ambushed and killed Saturday in Brooklyn.
The organization made the announcement Tuesday along with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were killed when police said Ismaaiyl Brinsley opened fire as the officers sat in their marked patrol car.
The foundation's chairman and CEO Frank Siller said the organization decided to take over the officers' mortgages when they heard about some of the hardships their families now face.
Tunnel To Towers Foundation To Take Over Mortgages Of Slain NYPD Cops
"We heard about that the Liu family was actually worried about the practical part of the loss, not just the emotional part," Siller told 1010 WINS. "They were worried about making the mortgage and we said, 'this is exactly what we can do."
Siller said he remembers how his family felt after his brother was killed on 9/11.
"When you saw how people came together for us, it really lifted us," he told WCBS 880's Peter Haskell.
"During this holiday season this act of generosity will ensure both the Ramos and Liu families no longer have to worry about how to cover the mortgage payments on their homes," Cuomo said in a statement. "By coming together, we help honor the memory of these fallen heroes."
Tunnel to Towers will also be accepting donations exclusively for the officers' families Tuesday towards the purchase of their homes on their website at 5 p.m.
For more information or to donate, visit tunnel2towers.org.
The Silver Shield Foundation said it will fund the education costs for Ramos' two son. Liu had no children.
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