BEDFORD-STUYVESANT — The family of one of the NYPD officers shot dead Saturday afternoon thanked the killer’s family Tuesday for expressing remorse and said they were not to blame for the murders.
“My family thanks the family of the guy that shot the cops for their condolences,” Ronnie Gonzalez said Tuesday, just steps away from where his cousin, Rafael Ramos, and his partner, Wenjian Liu, were gunned down while sitting in their patrol car.
“I’d like to meet them and say thank you for feeling sorry for us, for sending us condolences and understanding what their son did.”
Ismaaiyl Brinsley, 28, turned the gun on himself after shooting the two officers dead on Myrtle and Tompkins avenues as they sat in their patrol car.
Brinsley’s mother said Monday she was distraught over her son’s murderous rampage and apologized to Ramos’ and Liu’s families.
“I am deeply sorry about what happened at the hands of my son,” Shakuwra Dabre, 54, said from her East New York home. “They’re grieving and I’m grieving also at the loss of my son.”
Gonzalez also said Mayor Bill de Blasio deserved no blame for his cousin’s death — despite facing a firestorm of criticism from police unions.
“The mayor, it’s not his fault,” Gonzalez said. “It was somebody with a mental problem who was sick who committed a crime against an innocent person.”
