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Funeral held for slain NYPD officer Rivera

Police Officers Shot
Posted at 4:43 PM, Jan 28, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-28 16:57:50-05

Thousands gathered outside a church in New York City on Friday to pay their respects to an officer killed in the line of duty last week.

The funeral services for Officer Jason Rivera were held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan.

Rivera and his colleague Officer Wilbert Mora were fatally wounded when a gunman opened fire on them in a Harlem apartment as they responded to a domestic dispute on Jan. 21. The gunman was shot by a third officer and died earlier in the week.

The Associated Press reported that the 22-year-old Rivera had recently married and was barely into his second year on the force when he died.

During the service, Rivera's widow spoke of how he would want to be remembered.

"This is exactly how he would have wanted to be remembered, like a true hero, or like I used to call him Big Po-O Rivera," Dominique Luzuriaga said. "You have the whole nation on gridlock, and although you won't be here anymore, I want you to live through me."

New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell posthumously promoted Rivera to detective first grade, posting the badge on social media.

"Police Officer Jason Rivera rose to every challenge that crossed his path," Sewell said. "He was everything that the city and NYPD needed him to be."

According to the AP, Mora’s funeral will be held next week at St. Patrick’s.

The news outlet reported that New York Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered flags at state buildings be flown at half-staff from sunrise on Friday until sunset the day of Mora’s funeral on Feb. 2.