Thousands Attend Funeral for Rafael Ramos, Officer to Be Awarded Posthumous Religion Degree

Carrie Dedrick | Updated: Dec 29, 2014

Thousands Attend Funeral for Rafael Ramos, Officer to Be Awarded Posthumous Religion Degree

The funeral for NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos, who was shot and killed Dec. 20 alongside Officer Wenjian Liu, took place Saturday (Dec. 27) in New York. Tens of thousands attended the funeral of the officer killed while on duty. 

The service, held at Christ Tabernacle Church in Glendale, New York included a helicopter flyover as thousands of police from across the country gathered to mourn the loss of Ramos. 

Christian Today reports pastor of Christ Tabernacle Jonathan Collado presided over the service. He quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. saying, "The old law about an eye for an eye leaves everybody blind.” 

Ramos was killed by gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who had posted to social media that he planned to avenge the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner by killing police. 

New York State Chaplain Task Force president Rev. Marcos Miranda told the Huffington Post that Ramos was a godly man. "He thought being an NYPD officer was like doing ministry to God by protecting and serving your community," Miranda said.

Ramos was enrolled in online classes and was working toward a degree in Religion at the time of his death. The officer planned to retire from the force and become a chaplain upon his graduation. The Faith Evangelical College and Seminary said it will award Ramos posthumously with the Bachelor of Arts degree. 

Publication date: December 29, 2014



Thousands Attend Funeral for Rafael Ramos, Officer to Be Awarded Posthumous Religion Degree