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New Day Saturday
Funeral Today for NYPD Officer Killed in Ambush; Funeral For Fallen Officer Moments Away
Aired December 27, 2014 - 09:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Live pics this morning as you see the beginning of the processional here. Officers -- some of the thousands of officers expected to gather to say good-bye to an officer, for some of them a friend, a father to two boys -- Rafael Ramos who was shot and killed a week ago today. That service begins in an hour.
SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning everyone. I'm Suzanne Malveaux, in for Christi Paul.
BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Nine o'clock here on the East Coast, 6:00 out west. You are in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Let's go back to those live pictures. We got pictures outside the Christ Tabernacle Church. This is in Queens.
And all morning, we've seen officers on foot and now we see them on their motorcycles from around the city, around the country, gathering because -- in about an hour, they would say good-bye to one of their own.
MALVEAUX: Just one week after Officer Rafael Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu were ambushed and gunned down in the streets of New York. We are expecting more than 25,000 officers, you see them streaming in now, gathering in Queens this morning, along with many people from the community.
People who knew Officer Ramos and people who didn't, just strangers who want to pay their respects, and their well wishes.
We also are anticipating Vice President Joe Biden, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, they will be among those who will be speaking at today's service.
BLACKWELL: And this is a weekend of honor and tribute. This is the scene yesterday there in Queens as thousands lined the streets to pay their respects. Ramos' son and his sister reflected on the man they say was doing God's work.
MALVEAUX: Their farewell broadcast, this was on a screen for those who filled the streets to see.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CINDY RAMOS, OFFICER RAFAEL RAMOS' SISTER: Dear brother, my heartaches so much right now. Help me understand why God took you.
JUSTIN RAMOS, OFFICER RAFAEL RAMOS' SON: Dad, I'll miss you very much. I'll miss you with every fiber of my being.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MALVEAUX: Well, today's funeral procession, we've got a map for you, will begin around Cypress Hills Street. From there, thousands of police will lead the way until the casket arrives at the church in Queens.
We have a team of reporters and guests covering the angles and helping us understand, adding context to the story. We've got Miguel Marquez there in New York, outside the church. Erin McPike is at the White House. Nick Valencia here in Atlanta covering the social media response. We also have HLN legal analyst Joey Jackson with us.
MALVEAUX: We want to begin with Miguel Marquez in New York.
And, Miguel, first of all, there are so many who are gathering outside of the church. This church is not going to hold the number of people who want to be part of this event. How is it that we're able to even see it this morning? How will it be broadcast and shared with the community?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The church is a nondenominational Christian church. It is a former movie theater. They have a pretty sophisticated webcam in there. So, that will be shared with the world, along with the processional route as well, where there will be thousands of police officers from around the world who will line that processional route.
There will be jumbotron screens spread out over about a half mile. Maybe three quarters of a mile to the cemetery where Officer Ramos will be laid to rest.
This has been an extraordinarily tough time for NYPD and for the city itself. People in this neighborhood who have been preparing for this for days now talked to us, about how it has affected them.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My heart was torn into pieces and my thoughts and prayers are with the families as much as they hurt we hurt with them.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Especially with the protests and people yelling and screaming in their faces and I wouldn't be able to do what they do. And I give them a lot of credit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: Now, it will be a relatively short funeral, about an hour long. The vice president will speak, the police commissioner will speak and the mayor will speak. Perhaps most important of the three is Mayor Bill de Blasio who will speak. His relationship with New York City police, especially the beat cops, those on the street, has been tested in recent days.
And by noon, he will be taken about a mile down Cypress Hills Street there, to the cemetery where he will be laid to rest.
MALVEAUX: Miguel, we're looking at the live pictures of so many of these officers that are lining up and proceeding to go inside. I know from your vantage point it looks like you are in front of the church. But have you seen some of the dignitaries, some of the people that we are expecting to speak, whether that be the vice president or some of the brass within the police force or family members who might be trying to get there a little bit early?
MARQUEZ: We have not seen any of that. We're pushed back to a parking lot just off the church here. We can see just a steady stream of police officers that are entering from the north on Cypress Hills Street, and then they're lining south of Cypress Hills Street, all the way down to the cemetery.
These are such -- of such scale, it is hard to get a sense. I'm looking down Myrtle Avenue. All I can see is a wall of blue coming down Myrtle Avenue as police officers stream in from that direction as well. All of them dressed in their finest, their finest uniforms, their formal uniforms for this event.
And if you look that way down the church there is another entrance around the side so I know that family and perhaps the vice president will be entering through there. It is a -- it's a massive scene out here and it is likely to get -- it will get bigger and it will only become bluer and bluer as the day goes on. And you will have bag pipes playing. You will have an incredible show of sorrow and emotion and outpouring that is hard to compare to any other service that I've ever seen -- Suzanne, Victor.
MALVEAUX: And, Miguel, we know that this is a very difficult time for the police officers and as well as the family of Ramos. But do we expect that there's going to be a tone of defiance perhaps in light of the environment that has been created the last couple weeks and months when it comes to some of the tension between the police and the community?
MARQUEZ: Yes. No is the simple answer I think. I think everybody now is beyond that. They are focused on the work at hand. The fact that the mayor will be speaking at this will go a long way toward quelling some of that divisiveness that we've seen in recent days. You know, the vice president coming here shows that the level at which this affair is being taken.
The family has just spoken with just heart aching beauty about their father who was a member of this church for 14 years, was training to become a chaplain. Everything about him in his work as a police officer was an extension of his work from this church. So I don't think that there will be that tainting of this particular event with that.
I know that there are protests later in the day about racism and police force that will happen later in the day in New York. I doubt those will be as vociferous and angry as they were in days past -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Miguel Marquez, thank you so much. We're going to be following Miguel's post from his position outside the church there as we see so many of those gathered to pay their respects. He brings up a very good point, Victor, that is that we've been part of -- it's part after national conversation, a discussion we've been having about the role of the police and really highlighting in Ramos and his partner the extraordinary work that the men and women do to protect our community as well.
BLACKWELL: And we're going to continue to have the conversation about healing and will this conversation lead to a change in a relationship between police and the communities that they work for.
I want to bring in Erin McPike. She's at the White House. Miguel Marquez just mentioned that Vice President Joe Biden will be there speaking at the service today.
You know, there was criticism immediately after the murder of these two officers of Mayor De Blasio, and criticism of the president. But the vice president has a different relationship some would say, with law enforcement community -- Erin.
ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Victor, that's right.
And that dates back to his time in the Senate. He worked on the crime bill and also secured some funding for some police units. So, he is known to have a better relationship some would say, with law enforcement. And police advocates have said that it's a good move to send him because as you mentioned, there has been some criticism of the administration.
Of course, President Obama has talked about demilitarizing some of these police units in the wake of some controversy over that. But also, there has been additional controversy because President Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder have both talked about how they are going to extra lengths to sort of warn African-American children that they need to be more cautious of dealing with law enforcement, and people are saying critics are saying that that language is kind of divisive, that all children and all people really, should be more respectful of law enforcement.
So, there's more criticism there, also the task force that you mentioned in trying to improve some relation. They haven't put rank and file police officers on that task force. So, it will be interesting today to see how Vice President Biden reaches out to the law enforcement community and his remarks, Victor.
BLACKWELL: And, of course, we will broadcast that live courtesy of the signal being sent out by Christ Tabernacle, the church where Officer Ramos was a member and one week ago this time, he was a member of the life group ministries and the marriage ministry until last Saturday afternoon when a man walked up to the cruiser in which he was sitting with his partner, and shot both of them in the head, killing them.
We'll, of course, cover -- continue to cover all that's happening on the ground in Queens.
Erin McPike at the White House and Miguel Marquez standing outside there -- thank you so much.
MALVEAUX: And there is another element on this story. A New York police now say they have arrested two more people for making threats against officers, bringing that total to nine. The two latest arrests announced Friday include a man accused of walking into a precinct and harassing and threatening officers.
Now, police arrested another man for making verbal threats to an off- duty officer wearing his uniform.
I want to bring in HLN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney, Joey Jackson, who's joining us now.
And, Joey, let's talk a little bit about this, because we are having a discussion whether or not this is appropriate and what is the bar here when it comes to harassing or threatening gestures against the police. One of these men made a gun gesture with his hands at an officer.
So, talk about the thresholds here. What is considered a real threat? And what perhaps might be an expression of concern and real reaction perhaps overreaction, to some of these things that are being done?
JOEY JACKSON, HLN LEGAL ANALYST: Sure, Suzanne. Good morning.
You know, at the end of the day, we're a nation of laws and, certainly, there are many powerful feelings about the police and perhaps overaggressive policing in communities and there are protests behind that and those are healthy for a democratic process, perhaps to change things. But you cannot engage in activities that are designed to threaten people.
So, what does that mean? You know, Suzanne, the Supreme Court of the United States is taking up that very issue and they are drawing the following distinction. They are drawing the distinction between the intent of the sender of the message, to the perception of the receiver of the message.
In other words, does it turn on criminality, that is, what I intend as a person who puts that message out there, or, does it turn on what I perceive as a perceiver of the message? And so, the Supreme Court is evaluating that very thing.
However, in the absence of that, what the law says is that if you engage in communication with the intent to harass or annoy, it's a crime. And that's a broad standard. And because it's so broad, Suzanne, that's classified as a misdemeanor which is a crime punishable by up to a year.
However, the bar elevates higher in the event that you intend and you communicate something, through coercion and it's -- there is a reasonable fear of imminence that you are going to carry it out, that becomes a terroristic threat, which is a felony, which is punishable by up to seven years in jail in New York.
And so, even though First Amendment rights to engage in activities and express ourselves, we need to be careful about how we express ourselves because if you cross that bar it becomes a crime, not just artistic expression.
MALVEAUX: And, Joey, I just want you to know and remind our viewers, what we're watching here. These are live pictures on the ground in Queens, outside Christ Tabernacle Church, and this is where you see so many of those police officers that you are talking about, who maybe some feel a sense of threat and concern because of the high tensions of potentially, the highest since the 70s, between the community there, we heard people say, and the NYPD.
We have been looking -- the police have been looking, FBI looking at those who use social media, to express themselves and there have been people who have been arrested for making potential threats against officers.
Tell us what's happening there. Is there a new landscape in social media people are combing through and seeing a threat against some of these women and men in blue?
JACKSON: Suzanne, there really is. And remember, with the advent of social media, you can instantly convey into society, through Facebook, through Twitter, through Instagram. And as a result of that, the police are taking those threats seriously.
Why? Because there was a threat that was made as we know, that was very offensive with regard to the police that resulted in two lives being lost. And we're seeing a funeral for one of them today. And so, the police are evaluating social media.
And yes, again people can artistically express themselves and in fact the case before the Supreme Court now, there was discussion during oral argument earlier this month about Eminem. He's a rapper and he says in some of his lyrics, you know, somewhat inflammatory. But the court is really saying, look, a threat is a threat. The reality is how is it perceived, how is that message despite the fact that it's conveyed, how is it received?
And so, like obscenity, there may be different definitions how we define obscenity. At the end of the day, we know it when we see it.
And so, there is a fine line between social media and how you express yourselves. If you cross that line by giving the perception that you intend to alarm, harass, annoy, intimidate or ultimately carry out an imminent threat, it become withes a crime and it's punishable by jail.
MALVEAUX: All right. Joey Jackson, thank you very much.
I want to remind our viewers what we're watching here. Victor and I are here together, watching as you see the thousands and thousands of people who are just beginning to gather, there are some people who were here several hours ago early into the morning, as they line up, some will be inside the church, others outside, filling outside, to pay their respects to Rafael Ramos. You can see the police cruiser there. And just the numbers, the sheer numbers, Victor, is kind of extraordinary.
BLACKWELL: Twenty-five thousand, maybe more, 25,000 officers expected to be here. Part of this sea of blue.
Let's go to Miguel Marquez, who's there on the ground, just outside of the Christ Tabernacle Church where this funeral will be held at the top of the hour.
Miguel, we learned in the last couple days since this tragedy that Officer Ramos was hours away from becoming a lay chaplain, graduating from the community crisis chaplaincy program.
And as we look across the shot and we see all of the officers here, we have to remember that each one of these has a story, is part of a family, is part of a community. What more are you learning about Officer Ramos?
MARQUEZ: Well, look. This is why so many have come out here and why this one has become so important to the individuals who are gathering here. NYPD always makes a great show and always comes together with their own when this happens, but we are seeing uniforms from different police agencies around the country, from states and federal agencies. There are police agencies from Canada and others represented here.
If you look down Myrtle Avenue, they are all really starting to pour in now. And then lining Cypress Hill Street, all the down toward the cemetery.
Officer Ramos, 40 years old, had a marriage since '93, two kids, his oldest son Justin is a sophomore at Bowdoin College. That university has offered to pay the rest of his tuition until he graduates. The New York Yankees has now offered to pay tuition for both of the kids. The youngest is only 13. The officer has been here --
BLACKWELL: Miguel, I want to jump in for a second and just tell people that we're seeing at the center of our screen New York Police Commissioner William Bratton, who is mourning with the rest of the department.
I want to read something that he sent out to -- it's an internal memo. I'm just going to read part of it. And it reads as follows. "They say that joy cometh in the morning that the darkness gives way to the day, but that is small comfort now. For any who need them, the department has resources to help you with your pain. Avail yourself of them. Mourn and remember.'
But he goes on to say, "That we will move forward and we will keep this city safe. We are the thin blue thread that binds New York together and we shall not be broken."
That message sent out to the thousands and thousands of members of the New York Police Department at any given time. There are 6,000 or 7,000 on duty at the time.
Again, William Bratton there, the commissioner, the mayor, Bill de Blasio will be in attendance this morning, and the vice president, Joe Biden, will be there. They will all speak this morning at the funeral for Officer Rafael Ramos who was killed one week ago today. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: You are looking at live pictures, this from the scene of the shooting where there are millions of flowers that have been laid there in honor and respect to memorialize Officer Rafael Ramos, as well as his slain colleague Wenjian Liu. Both of them killed at that site. There are so many people who are marking this day, it was exactly one week ago that these two officers were gunned down inside of their police cruiser in cold blood, and so many people around the country want to acknowledge their family, acknowledge the family's loss and pain, not only the family but also the many police officers, the men and women in blue who gather outside of Christ Tabernacle Church.
You see there, the media setting up as they get ready to see this service that will take place in about 30 minutes or so. Dignitaries will be arriving. We saw Police Commissioner Bill Bratton making his way in front of the church.
We are expecting the Vice President Joe Biden as well to be one of the speakers and, of course, people widely anticipating the mayor, Mayor Bill de Blasio, to speak, rather controversial and sensitive subject at the time because of the tension that is being felt between the NYPD and the mayor during this difficult time, as New York City mourning the loss of those two officers.
I want to bring in Dean Meminger. He's with our affiliate New York 1 and he is outside of the church.
And, if you would, just tell us who is there, set the scene for us. What is the mood?
DEAN MEMINGER, REPORTER, NY1: Well, definitely solemn mood here this morning in queens in front of the Christ Tabernacle Church. When we have these funerals across the country you hear the term "a sea of blue". Well, that is exactly what we have he here in New York City. We're going to look over, look at all of these officers, not only from the NYPD but from police departments across New York state and from across the country have gathered here. One gentleman holding up a sign that says "God bless the NYPD."
A number of dignitaries are starting to arrive here as well. I believe the mayor is arriving shortly. And I may be seeing his vehicle pull up. We also know that the Vice President Joe Biden is expected to be here as well for this funeral.
Now, although we have thousands of NYPD officers here, many of them will have to obviously travel back to this area for the funeral of Officer Ramos' partner, Officer Wenjian Liu, his funeral not scheduled yet. We're hearing they are waiting for some of his family members to arrive from China. So, definitely a solemn moment. They are playing music over the loud speakers on the streets here in Queens.
Of course, everyone cannot fit into the church here. So, they have set up monitors and speakers along the street so that the officers can hear what's going on.
Mayor Bill de Blasio arriving right now. You may not be able to see him with the camera shot. From where I'm standing, I can see him here with his wife, the first lady. He is walking across, should be right in front of our camera right now in just a few moments, as he walks with his wife. Right there, you can see Mayor de Blasio coming across the screen perhaps I believe on the other side of this sign that says "God bless the NYPD." He's walking obviously, Mayor de Blasio very tall so you can see him above the crowd walking to the church, Christ Tabernacle Church.
And it's just something that so many of these NYPD officers, they don't want to attend ceremonies like this because it reminds them that it could be any one of them from anywhere in the country.
I actually spoke to one officer, her son is actually graduating from the NYPD Academy on Monday. He will be a full-fledged officer on Monday. She wanted him to be here for this funeral to see the reality of the job.
MALVEAUX: Dean, just want to jump in here -- sorry to interrupt here with a moment that we want to share with our audience, because it's an important one here. You see the mayor with his wife and they are talking with the commissioner, the Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, just arriving there moments ago in front of the church.
And, Victor, you know, we saw that sign that also said "Dump de Blasio".
BLACKWELL: Yes.
MALVEAUX: That was kind of a poignant sign, in support of the police, but also not in support of the mayor. Just talk a little bit about the tension that we have seen. This is a very significant moment.
BLACKWELL: There has been so much criticism of Mayor de Blasio, especially after the shooting. But the criticism started before that with his comments about the conversation he has with his wife and his son who is biracial, about interactions with police.
And we saw when the mayor went to the hospital and the officers in unison turned their back on the mayor. Then, there was the plane that flew over New York City with the banner, "We turn our backs on you, De Blasio", I'm paraphrasing there.
We've got with us Reverend Calvin Butts, who has also been quite critical of the mayor.
You said recently, Reverend, that the mayor is not showing the leadership that New York needs. What do you mean by that? REVEREND CALVIN BUTTS, PASTOR, ABYSSINIAN BAPTIST CHURCH: You got
division, you got the police on one side, and you've got the community on another. Today, we are mourning the death of two of New York's finest, and protesters will be in the streets a few hours after that demanding justice for Eric Garner.
And there needs to be a force in our city who can help us to settle down, kill the rhetoric of Mr. Lynch and stop the finger-pointing at the NYPD, and begin to address the problems that are dividing our communities.
BLACKWELL: Well, the mayor would argue that he's done all that you actually detailed there. He's asked for a cooling down period, a moratorium on the protests while the city mourns. He has obviously called this a tragedy for everyone.
But do you believe that he is not strong enough to do this, that his words are tainted because his comments about his conversation with his wife and son? What more would you like the mayor to do that he hasn't done?
BUTTS: I think his words were not well-chosen. You can't call for a moratorium on the protests. The two events are really unrelated.
And, you can't point a finger at the entire police department as if every person in a uniform on the street was our enemy. That's not the case.
We're talking about individuals who break the law, who disrespect the community, and display racist behavior toward certain elements of our society. These persons need to be removed. And leadership would say that directly, forcefully, and it would be done.
BLACKWELL: You know, the Monday after the officers were killed you mentioned not calling for moratorium on the protests, the Monday after these officers were killed, the group Ferguson Action tweeted, "The NYPD wants to use this tragedy to silence this movement, not gonna happen. And protests continued that night."
You say that the mayor should not have call forward a moratorium on the protests. Do you believe these protests should continue this weekend?
BUTTS: Absolutely, because they are totally unrelated. The men and women who are in these protests also understand the importance of a strong police department. However --
BLACKWELL: I would challenge that as you finish your answer I apologize but you say they are totally unrelated. The person who shot Officers Ramos and Liu cited specifically, they take one of ours, we take two of theirs and used hashtags mentioning the death of Eric Garner.
So, the killer here offered the connection.
BUTTS: Well, the killer is a deranged crazed person. And you can't paint the entire community and the honest, sincere protesters by the deranged comments of one person. Now you know that's not objective reporting.
BLACKWELL: He offered the connection, sir. I'm not connecting the protest to that.
BUTTS: He is not a well person.
BLACKWELL: He said that's why he did it.
BUTTS: He's not a well person.
BLACKWELL: I just think it's not true to say that there is no connection.
BUTTS: And then he took his own life. I think it's terrible to paint those protesters who are concerned about justice by the actions of one deranged man.
BLACKWELL: That's your brush, pastor, not mine.
BUTTS: I don't paint the NYPD with a broad brush by the actions of several of their police officers.
MALVEAUX: Reverend Calvin Butts, we know that there are a lot of people say that they are not going to be protesting this weekend in honor of recognizing these officers. Are you getting any other information otherwise that there will be protests this weekend?
BUTTS: We have said continually that these protests will continue, and they will escalate. But we should also make it clear that we are saddened and outraged about the killing of these police officers. This is something that has been said consistently and we feel to go back to your original question, that there ought to be someone and we think it should be the mayor, who says I see this, and we can stop this divisive rhetoric.
MALVEAUX: All right.
BUTTS: And I think he should be able to make Lynch come out and say look, you know, my remarks were totally off kilter. And we can bring our city together. Let's give New York a chance.
MALVEAUX: All right. We're going to have to leave it there. Reverend Calvin Butts, we appreciate your time and your perspective this morning.
We want to go back to Miguel Marquez who is on the ground right there watching the scene unfold outside of the church.
And, Miguel, give us a sense what if the tone is there. We have seen the mayor, we have seen the police commissioner, and we see so many officers who have gathered this morning to pay their respects. What does it look like and feel like from where you are?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think we will see how things progress the mayor showed up a while ago, we did hear a couple of boos, it wasn't clear that they knew the mayor was about 30, 40 feet away, though they possibly have a clear view of the front of the church.
The view of the church itself is impressive. The number of police officers have really poured in here. They are streaming in down Myrtle Avenue, and then they are telling them, the ones that can't get into the church or get on Myrtle Avenue where the church is, to line up down Cypress Hills Street which is where the cortege will go to the funeral.
They have taken the bulk of the flowers out of the church now because they have -- the flowers have been streaming in for two days now into this church. They piled a lot of them on part of the funeral cortege with the city of New York police badge over the top of it all. And then the hearse will follow that.
It is somber, they are playing music over the loud speakers, there will be three jumbotrons along the funeral route here. And then we've just seen the bag pipe players go by in full dress uniform. It is a chilling thing to hear them play during these events. It is moving beyond words.
The number of officers here -- we saw a large contingent from Massachusetts state police come by. We've seen folks from Canada come by. And then clearly just thousands of New York City police officers out here as well.
MALVEAUX: And, Miguel, we know that Ramos leaves behind his wife Maritza, and his two sons, Justin and Jayden. Justin a sophomore in college, and Jayden just 13 years old. Is there a special place where we expect to see those family members showing up shortly?
And can you talk little about some of the relatives and the friends, those closest to Ramos, who will be arriving shortly?
MARQUEZ: Yes, the family was during the wake yesterday able to get in on the side door to this church. This is a former movie theater here in Queens. They turned it into sort of a big nondenominational Christian church. So, we're not sure they will enter the front. Presumably they will enter where the Mayor Bill de Blasio and Bill Bratton came in through the front of the church.
And, you know, look, the family has really come together. The extended family went to the memorial at the 84th precinct in Brooklyn over the Christmas holiday, to see their father's locker, to meet the friends and his colleagues at the 84th precinct. And they met police officers at this memorial that has just grown enormously.
As the protests I think set in relief, the frustration that some New Yorkers have with the police, it only added to the sense of despair and sorrow and upset that the New York police department and people who support them have. And it really, it really caused a reaction. We're seeing that now here as well. You have officers on horseback now coming in. They will be part of the funeral cortege that will carry Officer Ramos down to the cemetery on Cypress Hill Street. And just the outpouring is a reflection of how New Yorkers see how
things have gone recently. It will be very, very interesting to listen to the mayor's words. He has a very tough job.
The police commissioner who was hired by this mayor, but was somebody that was associated with the tough policing that broken window policy where no stone was left unturned, that so angered and upset so many in the African-American and Latino communities here in New York City because of the number of arrests, because of the stop and frisk policies, that commissioner has had a very tough week this week, trying to bridge both sides, trying to remain loyal to the man who hired him but also trying to keep his force together in a time where it has been shaken.
Back to you.
BLACKWELL: And you see the thousands upon thousands of officers who not only serve the city of New York but we know JetBlue flew in almost 700 officers from across the country to show their support for the family and to stand there in solidarity with the family and the city of New York.
You mentioned the words of Mayor Bratton -- sorry, Mayor de Blasio, and what he will say today. His words since the murders of these two officers have been conciliatory, and offering sympathy and standing in solidarity with this family. We, of course, will broadcast those remarks from the mayor, from the police commissioner, also Vice President Joe Biden. We'll take a moment to pause here and come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
MALVEAUX: You're looking at Queens, New York. This is outside of Christ Tabernacle Church. A painting of Rafael Ramos who served on the 84th precinct for 14 years.
A tribute to him outside of that church and somebody who was a big part of that, a big part of that church as an usher, as someone who was a minister to those getting married and someone who would simply walk people to their seats, sometimes the elderly, sometimes handicapped. His faith was a big part of his life as so many have expressed this morning.
BLACKWELL: Served also on the life group and was hours away from becoming a lay chaplain, graduating from the Community Christ chaplain program inside the New York Police Department.
So, someone who saw that he was doing and his family saw he was doing God's work in his work in uniform.
MALVEAUX: It was something he considered part of his job, his ministry, even his face book page expressed that at the top saying if your way isn't working try God's way. It was really a big, big part of his life.
And we want to see if we can go to Rosa Flores who is along the procession route, because we have seen the thousands and thousands of people, many of them law enforcement from throughout the country.
And, Rosa, if you can hear us there, who have you talked to? What are they saying to you this morning?
Rosa can't hear us yet. We're going to get back to her.
OK. We understand it's a delay.
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Suzanne?
MALVEAUX: Yes, go ahead. Tell us who you have spoken to and what it looks like from where you are along the procession.
FLORES: I can tell you that there are a lot of heavy hearts here, Suzanne. I talked to a lot of the police officers from some of the departments around the country, and even from Canada. And I can tell you that it's really difficult, it's tough for them to be here but they tell me that it's important for them to be here, to show solidarity, solidarity at a difficult time. It's a very tough and painful time in America when there is a lot of division.
And they told me that one of the most difficult things about the experience is seeing the family of Officer Ramos because they can all identify with that.
Now, take a look around me because you'll see that a lot of these police officers are from different parts of the country. And they are paying their respects, a lot of them saying that it's difficult, that they leave their communities only to come and pay respects to an officer that was ambushed, that was killed. And in the line of duty which is what they do, day in and day out.
But take a look at these streets. They are shoulder to shoulder in blue. Men and women who give everything they have day in and day out in these communities. Some of these men and women patrol some of the most dangerous communities in America.
I talked to one officer in particular who told me you know, we leave our house in the morning hoping that we can come back at night. And reunite with our families. We don't know that's going to happen every single day for all of us.
And that's the reason why they are all here, because they know that it's difficult for the family of Rafael Ramos.
So, we're going to stay here. We know that the procession will come up this street and we'll be here to show you and share those pictures with you -- Suzanne.
MALVEAUX: All right. Rosa Flores, along the procession route, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
And we want to bring in now former FBI assistant director and CNN law enforcement analyst, Tom Fuentes.
And you and I have been speaking throughout the week about what these developments mean. And I just want to ask you in a personal note taking the FBI hat off, if you will, for a moment. You used to be someone who would patrol the streets and used to be an officer yourself. What is this moment mean for you, emotionally?
TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, Suzanne, it is an emotional moment because it makes you think of -- I'm not just thinking about my career in law enforcement, but all of my friends and relatives, my father was a career police officer, my brother was a career Illinois state trooper. And you think about that I could have lost a loved one, I have lost friends.
And you know, in law enforcement is dangerous, and it's difficult and over the last few months the impression that most of my friends have that are still in law enforcement and that I have, has been that there has been a growing disrespect, let's say, or a growing profiling of police officers that police officers are brutal, or racist, or behave improperly on the street, or intend when they wake up in the morning to shoot a black man.
I heard protesters say that. You know, when they hear protesters on the streets of New York chanting that we want dead police, it's gone too far.
And that rhetoric as the reverend mentioned earlier -- yes, the shooter was deranged. But he was inspired by this rhetoric and I think there's no doubt about it. And his Instagram saying, rest in peace Michael Brown, rest in peace, Eric Garner, I'm going to put pigs in a blanket, I'm going to give pigs wings, that is related to everything that's been said in public, the public discourse over the past couple of months and it's just for some people apparently an inconvenient truth.
BLACKWELL: Tom, the reverend talked about the protests and that they should continue this weekend, the mayor has asked for a cooling off period, a bit of a moratorium while these families mourn.
What do you think?
FUENTES: I think it's wrong. I think that, yes, it's our constitutional right and just because you have the right to do it doesn't necessarily mean you should do it. And I think that to me, it just shows disrespect and I would just say, if you want to receive respect, you should give respect. If you want to receive empathy and have -- be treated in a sensitive manner, show empathy. Show sensitivity.
The issues, apparently, as many public officials have said, these issues have gone on for decades -- well, if that's true, then a few more days of saying let's just wait till these funerals are concluded, let's give for a short pause and honor the New York City Police Department, honor Officer Ramos, and his family, Officer Liu and his family, know, would that really affect the movement to at least show that kind of respect for a couple of days.
My opinion, I think it shows disrespect. BLACKWELL: All right. Tom Fuentes, we want you to stay with us. We
obviously have more questions. You can offer context having been a uniformed officer who stood outside after church after loved one who has been killed in the line of duty.
We'll take a quick break. Again, in about 10 minutes the service scheduled to begin for Officer Rafael Ramos, killed while in the line of duty sitting in a cruiser with his partner one week ago today.
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MALVEAUX: And these are live pictures.
We actually just saw the governor of New York, Governor Cuomo, walking past the cameras towards the church into the building. And that has been a morning, obviously, where you have some of the highest level officials here from the state and from the city. Also from the country, expecting Vice President Joe Biden as well to be attending -- not only attending but speaking in this funeral service.
I want to bring back our Tom Fuentes, who we've been talking about this with, because, Tom, it was very important moment this morning when we saw, the mayor, Bill de Blasio, and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton, talking in front of the church.
And this was a moment, perhaps it's optics, it's symbolism, but a moment people that needed to see. And they have been seeing these two more and more together over the last 48 hours to try to mend, if you will, some real tensions between the police department, the police union and the mayor himself.
What do you hope comes of this? What needs to be done here to heal these individuals and this city?
FUENTES: Well, I hope the officials, you know, from both sides talk. And I hope the mayor and his staff and the commissioner, as well as the leaders of the police organizations such as the Patrolmen Benevolent Association that's been very vocal and other police associations, you know, will sit down and discuss many of the ideas that they don't share right now. And that maybe they can come to some understanding and some level of mutual respect in the future.
BLACKWELL: Tom, beyond this conversation between the mayor and the commissioner, you've got tens of thousands of officers. We see in the background. I don't know how we missed this, Mayor Giuliani walking in, as Mayor de Blasio and the commissioner were talking.
But you've got these thousands of officers who were there and we know that nine men have been arrested in the weeks since these murders. Someone rushed into the 28th precinct and harassed and assaulted officers. Others made threats on social media.
How do these officers compartmentalize that and leave that inside the building and when they go out into the community not take that out on the people they are serving? FUENTES: I think victor it is because they are used to this over the
long run. You hear about this from police academy training on, you know, that you possibly may be targeted because you are wearing a uniform and no other reason. You know, one of the expressions you don't fear the bullet that has your name on it. You fear the thousands of bullets that are addressed to "whom it may concern", meaning any police officer will do.
And I think that, you know, they face that every day. They understand that. And don't take it out on the people that they try to serve and assist and protect.
MALVEAUX: Tom, do you think there's been a real sense of soul searching over the last couple of weeks among police officers and law enforcement individual who is perhaps see both sides of this, that this is not such a black and white issue. And there are times when police are aggressive and then there are other terms certainly where police have been the target of people going to after them, because it seems as if the rhetoric has gotten so hot that you need voices that recognize both.
FUENTES: Well, you are right, Suzanne. You know, the police say that people not have to the police profile various member, ethnic group, racial groups, but yet the police feel that they are being profiled. Yes there have been some incident where the police have been over aggressive or an officer has been a bully and either took a life when he shouldn't have.
And I'm not saying just in the cases in the last couple months. I mean, just in general, there are cases where officers have killed somebody that they should not have or brutal with someone they should not have. There's no question about that. And most police officers want bullies and people like that eliminated from the ranks. They don't want them hired in the first place. They don't want them amongst them, because when they act up and do one of these terrible things, it's in the public eye and taints everybody with a broad brush that all police are bad.
So, they don't want that either. And you're right there is soul searching of what can be done even within the ranks to try to eliminate people that do that.
MALVEAUX: All right. Tom, thank you very much.
We want to go to Michael Marquez who's down in front of the church now.
We are being told that Vice President Biden has arrived just a couple blocks away from the church.
MARQUEZ: He's walking right next to us. He said this will not be exactly pretty television, but I can tell you the vice president is going to walk by us in just a moment.
Mr. Vice President, how are you? Good to see you here. Amazing what you will see in New York some days. Vice President Joe
Biden whose attending the funeral, started off down Myrtle Avenue. His car was able to drop him off down there and with his entourage walked through the throng of police officers there to the front of the church here, to the front of the church ere and he will be entering there.
I can say other than seeing the vice president five feet away from me this morning, to look down Cypress Hill Street here and see the throng of police officers, the number of, the glinting of the sun off their hats and uniforms, it is a sight to behold. The bag pipe players have been showing up. When they play at these affairs, it is haunting and incredibly sorrowful.
So it is going to be quite a service today, only about an hour long. The vice president now that he's here, he will be speaking. The mayor will be speaking. The police commissioner will be speaking, and I'm sure members of the families and some of the police buddies will be speaking as well.
But a fairly short service. About an hour long and then the processions to the cemetery and then he will be buried at noon.
Back to you.
BLACKWELL: All right. Miguel Marquez, outside the church there, we just saw Vice President Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden head inside for the funeral of Officer Rafael Ramos.
We'll take a quick break and we'll be back.
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