Renovations Finished On Home Of Fallen NYPD Detective Wenjian Liu
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Relatives of a fallen New York City police officer cut the ribbon on their newly remodeled home during a solemn ceremony Wednesday.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation replaced the leaky roof, siding and windows, and installed central air conditioning at Det. Wenjian Liu's home in Gravesend, Brooklyn, where Liu's widow, father and mother live.
Liu and his partner, Det. Rafael Ramos, were gunned down in their patrol car in Bedford-Stuyvesant in December. The shooter, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, killed himself shortly after the brazen daytime ambush.
Renovations Finished On Home Of Fallen NYPD Detective Wenjian Liu
Liu's widow, Pei Xia Chen, wiped away tears of sorrow and gratitude as she thanked supporters and officers from her husband's precinct, who also attended the ceremony, CBS2's Elise Finch reported.
"When we really needed help, Tunnel to Towers came in and really helped us," she said. "We can't thank them enough for what they did, for all of their hard work and everybody's generous contributions to our family. It made us feel like we're not alone.
"We thank you for your service and all the support you have given to our family," she told the officers. "My family's so touched by all the love and support we have received and continue to receive for the past nine months."
Renovations will also be made to the Ramos home through donations.
Renovations Finished On Home Of Fallen NYPD Detective Wenjian Liu
The Tunnel to Towers Foundation, established in memory of a fallen 9/11 firefighter, collected more than $1 million in donations from across the country and other parts of the world in an effort to pay off the families' home mortgages.
"Our men and women in uniform, when something horrific happens to them, we must come together as a nation," said Frank Siller, the foundation's chairman and chief executive officer.
For a mission that sadly never ends, Siller announced the foundation will also pay off the mortgage of Houston Deputy Sheriff Darren Goforth, who was shot to death Friday.
