From across the country, they came to Queens to pay their respects to a hero in blue, brutally shot dead with his partner for no reason except that he was doing his job.
Thousands of police officers lined up hours before the 10 a.m. funeral of NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos, who was executed last Saturday on a Brooklyn street with his partner, Officer Wenjian Liu.
In a line that drew applause from the crowd at Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale, Vice President Joe Biden said it is for good reason that New York City's police officers are known as New York's Finest.
"That is not is not an idle phrase," Biden said. "This is probably the finest police department in the world … They earned that phrase, because of the sacred trust they took on."
Biden — who lost his first wife and his 1-year-old daughter in a car accident in 1972 — addressed words of comfort to Ramos' mother.
"No child should predecease a parent. My heart aches for you," Biden said. "I also know from experience the times will come, the time will come when Rafael's memory will bring a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye.
Rafael RamosPhoto: Getty Images
"My prayer for you is that it will come sooner than later," Biden said.
Clad in dress blues and white gloves, the somber officers waited in the bright light of a sunny, cool morning to pay their respects to Officer Ramos, a married father of two who was an usher at Christ Tabernacle Church.
The sea of blue stood five rows deep outside the church, filling the streets several blocks in every direction.Officials last night said they expected up to 25,000 police officers from New York and across the country — the largest gathering ever for a slain NYPD cop.
A painted portrait of Officer Ramos was displayed on an easel outside the church, along with a half dozen bouquets of flowers and several candles.
Mayor Bill de Blasio, who is caught up in an angry feud with rank-and-file cops over his support for anti-police demonstrations in the city and complaints about alleged police mistreatment of minorities, took the podium at 10:45 a.m. Cops in the streets watching the service on large monitors turned their backs in unison to the screen.
DeBlasio arrived at Christ Tabernacle at about 9:30 a.m., and entered the church with his wife Chirlane through a side door.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton arrived at the church a few minutes earlier. Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Gov. Andrew Cuomo and US Rep. Peter King are also attending.
Gov. Cuomo held the hand of his companion Sandra Lee when they arrived at the church at 9:50 a.m. Vice President Biden and his wife Jill arrived seven minutes later.
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Video screens were set up on the street for the thousands who will not be able to get inside the church. Officials expected up to 25,000 police officers from New York and across the country to be in attendance.
On every officer's mind is the anti-police sentiment that has built up after months of protests over the the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. and the chokehold death of Eric Garner in Staten Island.
The officers are also concerned about de Blasio's support for the demonstrators and what they deem his lack of respect for cops. Dozens of cops turned their back on de Blasio when he showed up at Woodhull Hospital last Saturday after the officers had died.
"I think the mayor should definitely have the backs of all law enforcement," said Officer Joseph Pelchat, 30, a police officer in New London, CT. "If you don't have that support — when someone of that importance doesn't have your back it can really be damaging."
Five officers from Kenosha, WI attended the funeral. They left home at 5 p.m. Friday and arrived in Queens at 5 a.m. Saturday.
Kenosha Det. Pete Deates was struck by the senselessness of Ramos' death. "He was out doing his job and he died for no other reason than someone wanted to kill two cops," Deates said.
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