Liu was 12 when his parents emigrated with him in 1994, coming to the United States from Canton, China. His police partner, Rafael Ramos, a New York native of Puerto Rican descent, was remembered last week with a massive outpouring at a Protestant church in Queens.
With the city and nation divided over the treatment of minorities by their brothers and sisters on the force, the lives of the two fallen officers more closely reflected the city’s diversity.
On Sunday, a sea of dark blue drawn from the police forces of New York and beyond is expected to find its way to the funeral home for Liu’s funeral at 11 a.m. ET.
When his NYPD colleagues gather there, their boss has an urgent request of them: Please remain reverent throughout the services.
Don’t carry out an “act of disrespect” against anyone, Police Commissioner William Bratton said in a memorandum obtained by CNN.
Turning their backs
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He was just hours away from becoming a lay chaplain and graduating from a community-crisis chaplaincy program before his violent death.
He left behind a wife, Maritza, and two sons, Justin and Jaden.
Vice President Joe Biden, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, de Blasio and Bratton delivered eulogies at his funeral.
More than 25,000 police officers from across the country and Canada attended. Officers formed long chains holding hands in prayer.
CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz and Michael Martinez contributed to this report.
