NEW YORK -- Thousands of police officers gathered Tuesday to pay tribute to NYPD Officer Miosotis Familia, who was killed as she sat in a mobile command center in the Bronx last week.
Blue ribbons were tied around street lights outside the World Changers Church, which is not far from where she was killed in Fordham Heights, as officers filed into the church for the service. Thousands more stood outside, filling at least five blocks of Grand Concourse.
Inside, speakers included NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill and Mayor Bill de Blasio, who stood behind a pulpit decorated with a larger-than-life image of Familia, a mother of three and 12-year veteran of the force.
O'Neill, who posthumously promoted Familia to detective, spoke at length about the sacrifice Familia made to serve the community and said she was killed solely because she was a police officer.
"I don't know how else to say it. This was an act of hate," O'Neill said.
The commissioner listed a number of statistics regarding cops killed in the line of duty, including more than 845 since the NYPD was founded in 1845. He received a loud round of applause when he asked, "Where were the demonstrations for this single mom who cared for her elderly mother and three children?"
"I'm asking the public to make a commitment to respect the police," he said.
Familia's eldest daughter, Genesis, choked up as she stood behind the pulpit with her two younger siblings, Delilah and Peter.
“My mother lived for us," she said. “I’m so glad that I got to experience such an unconditional, pure love.”
De Blasio said Familia "embodied the American Dream. Child of immigrants. First in her family to go to college. A beautiful New York City story." He recalled a striver, who "wanted with all her heart to become a New York City police officer."
Some of the officers outside the church, listening to the service on speakers, booed and turned their backs on de Blasio before he spoke. They turned back around when O'Neill spoke.
Following the funeral Mass, a spokesman for the mayor called the act "bogus" and "unfortunate."
"A couple dozen people showed up to partake in a bogus controversy ginned up by the media and those looking to politicize Detective Familia's death. That's unfortunate," said spokesman Austin Finan, adding that the mayor attended the service to pay his respects and honor Familia.
The church's choir partly sang in Spanish and offered a lively performance that underscored the overall celebratory nature of the service.
"Today we celebrate. We celebrate the life of Miosotis Familia,” Rev. Barbara Williams-Harris, chaplain for the NYPD, said in her Call to Worship.
Officers traveled from afar – including the United Arab Emirates, Domincan Republic and Los Angeles – to pay their respects.
Prior to the service, Rep. Peter King said he was at the funeral to show respect to Familia, her family and other officers.
"They've been subjected to terrible smears and slander over the years," he said, which "just creates a climate that makes something like this possible."
Familia, the third female officer to die in the line of duty in modern history, was also honored at a wake on Monday, with hundreds in attendance, including Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and de Blasio.
“We have to respect our law enforcement and appreciate their sacrifice and the sacrifice of their families who worry each day about the danger their loved ones face,” Cuomo said.
The man who police say fatally shot Familia in the face, Alexander Bonds, was killed by responding officers minutes after he fired at Familia on Wednesday, July 5, 2017.
Police are still investigating Bonds’ motive, but a high-ranking official said it appeared to be nothing more than an “I just hate cops” motive.
De Blasio vowed to make the city's 72 mobile command centers bulletproof by the end of the year, following the deadly shooting.
The New York Police and Fire Widows’ and Children’s Benefit Fund, also known as Answer the Call, donated $25,000 to Familia's family.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel To Towers Foundation is also accepting donations for her family through its website, and de Blasio’s office said the Fallen Heroes Relief Effort, a fund that supports the families of fallen heroes, is accepting donations.
The World Changers Church, a nondenominational congregation at 2417 Grand Concourse, was chosen as the funeral venue because of its size. The former Loews Paradise Theater can seat 5,000, said a police official involved in planning the services. Police departments from around the country, as well as Canada, have inquired about sending delegations, NYPD officials said.
With Ivan Pereira, Matthew Chayes and Newsday
Copyright 2017 amNewYork
Tribune News Service
