FLUSHING — Hundreds of residents and members of the NYPD attended a vigil for slain police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos Tuesday night at the Church of St. Mel in Flushing.
They came out in the rain to gather in sadness, and as a gesture of support to the local 109th Precinct.
Joan Martinosky, 62, of Whitestone, is married to a detective and felt particular heartache for the wives of the two officers.
“These poor women. My heart breaks for them,” she said.
At the church service, police and firefighters stood against the back wall, while community members filled the pews. Local church leaders and 109th Precinct Captain Thomas Conforti addressed the crowd with messages of grief and hope.
Chrissy Voskerichian, president of 109th Precinct Community Council, said neighbors needed a place to pray and find comfort.
“Since Saturday, my heart has been very heavy, and I know that for everyone in this room, the entire city,” she said.
After about 45 minutes, the attendees filed outside to the neighboring 9/11 Memorial Park and sang "Silent Night."
Some said Liu’s death hit the city’s Asian communities especially hard.
“We lost a great guy,” said Sherry Guo, 44, a computer engineer who brought her 16-year-old daughter and a friend. “We’ve never seen him before, but he’s like one of our family members.”
Conforti said police officers had been feeling more nervous even before this weekend's attack.
“It’s hard because ever since that hatchet attack in Jamaica, we were a little more on edge,” he said. “Whether it’s they hated the NYPD, whether it’s a terroristic mood or people who don’t like the police.”
Participants took care not to mention of the political battle between the mayor and the police union, or the protest against police brutality that marched up Fifth Avenue Tuesday evening.
“Nobody’s to blame,” said Martinosky. “This isn’t the time for finger-pointing. It’s a time to come together as human beings who care about each other.”
