|
Keechant Sewell, the New York City police commissioner, called
officer Wilbert Mora, 27, "3 times a hero" as she announced his
death in a Twitter post.
His death followed the death on Friday of fellow officer Jason
Rivera, 22, who was shot along with Mora after they and a third
officer responded to a call about a domestic disturbance in
Harlem.
Sewell, in her tweet, described Wilbert as a hero: "For choosing
a life of service. For sacrificing his life to protect others.
For giving life even in death through organ donation."
Mora's death came one day after the death of the suspected
gunman, LaShawn McNeil, 47, police said.
Rivera, Mora, and the third police officer, a rookie, responded
to a 911 call in Harlem by a woman who said she was having a
fight with one of her sons.
Shortly after police arrived on the scene, Rivera and Mora were
fired upon in a narrow hallway by the woman's adult son. The
rookie officer then shot the suspect McNeil.
Mayor Eric Adams, who took office at the start of the new year
and is a former police captain himself, is grappling with aspike
in violent crime. Adams was elected after putting public safety
at the center of his campaign, promising to usher in policies to
quickly quell the violence.
On Monday, Adams unveiled a public safety plan to end gun
violence, promising to increase the number of police officers in
New York's most violence-plagued communities.
Rivera and Mora are among four New York City police officers
shot over the past six days. The day before they were shot, an
officer was shot in the leg after a man fired through the door
of a home that was being searched for drugs. On Tuesday another
officer was also shot in the leg as he scuffled with an armed
teenager. Neither of those two other shootings was fatal.
(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien; Editing by Leslie Adler)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|
|
