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NYPD Officer Jason Rivera honored at funeral amid nationwide crime spike

Jan 28, 2022

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New York City Mayor and former NYPD Captain Eric Adams highlighted the tributes to Officer Jason Rivera at his funeral Friday. Rivera was one of two officers killed last week by a gunman who opened fire on them in a hallway as they responded to a family dispute.

“He can still hear us from a distance,” Mayor Adams said. “He hears our voices, he hears our prayers, he hears our hopes. We as a city, as a state, and as a nation, we say thank you, Jason. We care about each other. That’s what makes this city possible, along with the courage of officers like Jason Rivera.”

The funeral for Officer Rivera was also highlighted by an emotional speech from Rivera’s widow, Dominique Luzuriaga. She described rushing to the hospital after hearing that he had been shot.

“Seeing you in a hospital bed wrapped up in sheets, not hearing you when I was talking to you broke me,” Luzuriaga said. “I asked, ‘Why?’ I said to you, ‘Wake up, baby. I’m here.’ The little bit of hope I had that you will come back to life just to say goodbye or say, ‘I love you’ one more time had left. I was lost. I’m still lost. Today I’m still in this nightmare that I wish I never had, full of rage and anger, hurt and sad, torn. Although I gained thousands of blue brothers and sisters, I’m the loneliest without you.”

Rivera’s death comes amid a spike in violent crime across the country. Adams is set to meet with President Joe Biden next week to discuss how to address the spike.

“The tragic death of your brother in blue uniform is a stark reminder of what is on the line every day,” Adams said at the funeral, according to a tweet from Newsmax. “I’m here, sitting next to the governor of the state of New York, Sen. Chuck Schumer and other electeds. We’re committed to giving you the resources to do your jobs and ensure that we can keep the people of this city safe.”

      Shannon Longworth: IT’S BEEN AN INTERESTING MORNING.
      I WAS CONDUCTING MY FINAL INTERVIEW FOR MY UPCOMING “JUST ONE
      NAME” ON THE NEW YORK CITY MAYOR ERIC ADAMS.
      AT THE SAME TIME, I HAD AN EYE ON A LIVE FEED FROM NEW YORK AND THE
      FUNERAL A 22-YEAR-OLD ROOKIE COP WHO WAS KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
      THOUSANDS OF COPS WERE THERE IN WHAT IS BEING CALLED A “SEA OF
      BLUE”.
      IN FACT, MY COLLEAGUE SIMONE DEL ROSIO SHOT THIS VIDEO OF THE
      PROCESSION FROM HER NEW YORK APARTMENT.
      AT THE FUNERAL — MAYOR ADAMS SPOKE   ABOUT MAKING HIS CITY SAFER.
     Mayor Eric Adams // (D) New York: “The tragic death of your brother in blue uniform is a stark reminder of what is on
      the line every day. I’m here — sitting next to the governor of the state of New York,
      Sen. Chuck Schumer and other electeds. We’re committed to giving you the
      resources to do your jobs and ensure that we can keep the people of this city safe.”
      Shannon Longworth: SO, BACK TO MY STORY ON ADAMS.
      I’M UNDER A TIGHT DEADLINE BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE THIS STORY
      PUBLISHED BY NEXT THURSDAY WHEN PRESIDENT BIDEN WILL VISIT MAYOR
      ADAMS IN NEW YORK TO  TALK ABOUT GUN VIOLENCE.
      YOU CAN SEE HOW THIS ALL COMES TOGETHER.
      YOU HAVE A TRAGEDY OF A YOUNG OFFICER WHO JUST LOST HIS LIFE — A
      PRESIDENT WHO’S NOW FACING A CRIME SPIKE FROM COAST TO COAST —
      AND A NEW MAYOR WHO WAS JUST ELECTED WITH HIS  PROMISE TO FIGHT
      CRIME.
      IF YOU’RE WONDERING WHAT’S CAUSING ALL THIS CRIME, CHECK OUT MY
      EXPLAINER “WHY IS CRIME ON THE RISE IN AMERICAN CITIES.”
      SEARCH CRIME SPIKE ON STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS.COM — AND KEEP AN EYE
      OUT FOR NEXT WEEK’S JUST ONE NAME ON MAYOR ADAMS.