NYC Officials Issue Statements On Fatal Shooting Of NYPD Cop In Harlem

Officers Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora

Photo: Twitter\NYPD

The New York City Council’s Black, Latino and Asian Caucus released the following statement on Friday night’s fatal shooting of NYPD officer Jason Rivera, 22, (above left) and the critical wounding of officer Wilbert Mora, 27, (above right) and in Harlem by alleged gunman Lashawn McNeil, 47, who was shot by police and is in critical condition:

“Tragedy has befallen our City and its Finest tonight, and no words can express the profound sadness and heartbreak that we feel for the members of the New York Police Department, and, most especially, the family, friends and loved ones of the fallen twenty-two-year-old officer.

“Once again, we are painfully reminded of the fact that risk to personal safety and willingness to make the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the public are inherent for those who proudly wear the uniform, and, though it is seemingly taken for granted, their commitment does not go unappreciated.

“While both the circumstances and ultimate outcome of this dreadful incident are not entirely clear at this moment, the events of the past several days suggest that the safety of every citizen, regardless of age or station, is in jeopardy due to the menace of deadly, illegal firearms.

“We must neither despair nor make the error of seeking to ascribe blame for our current state of affairs, and cause further damage to the fragile coalition of police and community that has already been badly strained by the surge of gun-violence emanating from this pandemic.

“Instead, we must pray for a miracle for the officer who is fighting to stay alive, and come together to tackle these daunting challenges with our heads as well as our hearts, and do so not as detractors along an ideological spectrum but as fellow New Yorkers.”

Incoming NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell said this regarding the shooting: “I am struggling to find the words to express what we are enduring, we’re mourning and we’re angry. The pain their families are experiencing is not something anyone can put into words. The three officers who arrived at that scene were doing their jobs.”

Gov. Kathy Hochul released the following statement on Twitter, offering her condolences to the officer’s family:

“I am horrified by tonight’s tragedy in Harlem. My thoughts are with the family who answered the phone to receive the news they’ve always dreaded: that their loved one, who had sworn to protect and serve New Yorkers by joining @NYPDnews will not be coming home. I am praying for the recovery of his partner, the officer who is fighting for his life, and for his family. I know that all of New York is standing with these officers and their families.

“We must urgently confront the plague of gun violence in our state. Too many lives are being lost, and too many New Yorkers are living in fear. This is a crisis. That’s why earlier today, I extended an Executive Order declaring a gun violence State of Emergency. In the Executive Budget I released earlier this week, I put forward a plan to triple resources for our gun interdiction efforts, to stop the flow of illegal guns into our state, and also triple resources for violence interrupter programs to address the root causes of violence.

“I refuse to allow our cities to be gripped with fear. New Yorkers deserve action from their elected officials – and they will get it. I’ve pledged my full support to @NYCMayor and look forward to working with him and other leaders to continue to take meaningful actions to make New Yorkers safer.”

New York Attorney General Letitia James also released a statement saying: “All of New York state is in mourning tonight. As we await the facts, my office may assert jurisdiction in this matter. We pray for the safety of our police and our communities.”

Reportedly, this tragedy occurred after the mother of Mr. McNeil called the police after she fought with her son—about dieting.

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