Police Officers who stood outside of the funeral home where slain NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos' ceremony took place turned their backs on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio while he spoke in an act of protest.
Police union officials and officers in New York blame de Blasio for showing sympathy to protesters angry over the police deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and Eric Garner on Staten Island.
Ramos and Liu were the first officers to die in the line of duty in New York since 2011, according to Reuters. Funeral plans for Liu haven't been announced.
In a statement, de Blasio's spokesman said: "The Ramos and Liu families, our police department and our city are dealing with an unconscionable tragedy. Our sole focus is unifying this city and honoring the lives of our two police officers," according to The New York Daily News.
In his eulogy for Ramos, de Blasio said hearts citywide were broken after the Dec. 20 shootings, Reuters reported.
"All of this city is grieving and grieving for so many reasons," de Blasio said. "But the most personal is that we've lost such a good man, and the family is in such pain."
When de Blasio visited the hospital where both officers were taken after the shooting, police union president Patrick Lynch, along with many other officers, turned their backs on the mayor as he made his way to speak with the officer's families, Reuters reported. Lynch said the mayor had "blood on his hands."
After the funeral, Lynch and de Blasio exchanged nods as they exited the church, but Lynch refused to answer questions about officers turning their backs, according to Reuters.
Ramos was a 40-year-old married father of two and was studying to become a pastor, the Daily News reported.
