Thousands of police officers from across the city, state and nation paid their final respects at a funeral Friday for NYPD officer Brian Moore, who was shot and killed last weekend in Queens while on duty. NY1's Dean Meminger filed the following report.
SEAFORD, N.Y. - It was a heartbreaking day Friday as second-generation NYPD officer Brian Moore was laid to rest.
Moore's father, a retired sergeant, and the rest of the family were devastated having to bury the 25-year-old. A sea of blue surrounded St. James Church on Long Island to support the family and each other.
Police Commissioner William Bratton choked back tears as he upgraded Moore's rank.
"And so with great honor and great sadness, I posthumously promote Police Officer Brian Moore, shield 469, to detective first grade, New York City Police Department," Bratton said.
Bratton said Moore's death comes as police across the country face criticism.
"We cannot be defined by that criticism. Because what is lost in the shouting and the rhetoric is the context of what we do," Bratton said. "A handful of recent incidents, fewer than a dozen, have wrongfully come to define the hundreds of millions of interactions cops have every year."
Along with brothers and sisters in blue, dozens of dignitaries attended the funeral.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said Moore was a Baltimore Orioles fan who loved cars and karaoke and could not wait to join the NYPD.
"It became clear to many he was a rising star. In a few short years, he had made it to the elite Anti-Crime Unit," de Blasio said. "He was respected by his elders, and he was looked up to by junior officers."
Police did not appear to turn their backs on de Blasio, as many of them did in December at two police funerals. This time, police union president Pat Lynch shook hands with the mayor and even kissed the first lady.
"What we can find is, people took a step back and said, 'Look. Police officers are out there. They're doing their job,'" Lynch said.
Officers who traveled here from far and near said the murder of a young officer is a horrible reminder of the dangers they face on their job.
"You always know it's that possibility that at any given time, you may be one that never make it home to your loved ones," said Kenneth Scott, a Philadelphia police officer. "But for the most part, you don't think about it. You just come out, do the best that you can, protect and serve," and be the best police officer that you can."
"It's heartbreaking. There's no words for it, and there's nothing you can say that makes anybody feel better, but to show all the support is all we can do for them," said Christyn Zett, a lieutenant with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.