Thousands Pay Their Respects At Wake For Slain NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Mourners gathered in Brooklyn Saturday afternoon to pay their respects to NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu.
A wake for Officer Liu was held from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Aievoli Funeral Home in Brooklyn.
However, as CBS2's Weijia Jiang reported, after the official end of the wake, a large crowd was still present at the funeral home.
As 1010 WINS' Roger Stern reported, officers stood in the rain in their dress blues, waiting to pay their respects to Liu.
The Los Angeles Police Department sent a dozen officers.
"We wanted to show our love and support to the NYPD, their families -- the officers' families in particular," one LAPD officer said.
The wake blended NYPD and Buddhist tradition, Jiang reported.
"Asian people bow three times to show respect to the officer, then we go to the receiving line of the families. We embrace them," Councilman Peter Koo said.
Even complete strangers attended the services, including Charles Wong, of Flushing.
"He died for us, not just himself but for the entire city," he said. "So I think this is where I felt we should come and pay him the respect."
Wake Underway For Slain NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu
As Jiang reported, each person received a prayer card, showing Liu wearing the dress blues he'll be buried in.
Funeral services will be held Sunday at 10 a.m.
Liu and Officer Rafael Ramos were fatally shot two weeks ago while sitting in their patrol car in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. The gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, then killed himself.
Both officers were posthumously promoted to detective first grade by Police Commissioner Bill Bratton.
Wake Underway For Slain NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu
As WCBS 880's Monica Miller reported, Gov. Andrew Cuomo stopped by to meet with Liu's family, having just lost his own father.
"We now have to move to a phase of healing in this scity. There's a lot of pain and a lot of anguish on many different sides," he said.
"We have to stop any fights within the family, and we have to come to together as the family of New York and stand strong. That's a message for all New Yorkers," Cuomo added.
On Saturday officers saluted de Blasio and Bratton as they entered the funeral home.
Wake Underway For Slain NYPD Officer Wenjian Liu
The officers' actions were in contrast to the hundreds of police who turned their backs to video screens showing the mayor speaking at last week's funeral for Ramos.
Prior to Saturday's service, Bratton called for officers attending to show respect for Liu and his family.
In a letter to department members, Bratton noted how some officers turned their backs on de Blasio during the funeral for Ramos.
He said this "stole the honor and attention" that belonged to Ramos.
Bratton did not threaten disciplinary action, but reminded officers of the 'honor and decency' that go along with their uniform.
Liu, 32, had been married only two months before he was killed. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is raising money to pay off his and Ramos' mortgages, WCBS 880's Jim Smith reported.
"We knew right away what we should do and I'm proud that we stepped up as a foundation," said chairman Frank Siller.
Liu's funeral was delayed because relatives traveled from China.
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