“New Yorkers understand the risk and sacrifice you make every day, and we applaud you for that,” he said to those attending the funeral of the young officer at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. “Those of us who have put on the uniform know: What happened to Officer Mora could happen to us any day.”
Adams pledged to step up the battle against street crime that has resulted in several shootings involving citizens and police officers recently. An an off-duty officer was shot and wounded Tuesday night, the eve of Mora’s funeral, while on his way to work. He was not in uniform and not in an NYPD vehicle, the department said.
Last week, Adams, a former NYPD captain, unveiled an action plan to combat gun violence. It calls for more officers on patrol and combating the influx of guns into the city. And it encourages prosecutors to move forward earlier with gun charges.
Mora, 27, and Officer Jason Rivera, 22, were fatally shot January 21 when a suspected gunman opened fire in a Harlem apartment, authorities said. The officers were posthumously promoted to detective first grade at their funerals.
“Our city is going to do more than thank you,” Adams said. “We are going to give you the resources to fight this senseless violence. It is New Yorkers against the killers: And we will not lose.”
“Officer Mora was not only a dedicated public servant, but an exceptional young man beloved by his family, the youngest of four children,” Adams said.
To Mora’s family he said, “I thank you for sharing your son with our city; and you must know we share your grief and feel your sorrow.”
The fallen officer has been praised for his heroism, not only for his duty to protect but for being an organ donor.
Mora was patient and big-hearted, said his brother, Wilson Mora.
“I love how close and loyal you were with your friends, and how much you valued their friendships,” Wilson said. “People gravitated to you because they could lower their defenses and be themselves around you.”
Wilson said he and Wilbert had planned a great number of trips together, and that he “wanted to experience the adventure with you because your love for life was infectious.”
“You chose a life of service to your community and to our adopted country. Your fellow officers were not only co-workers — they were friends and family, and now they’re my family. I love you baby bro, and I will always miss you.”
Karina Mora, Mora’s sister, said her brother’s smile lit up the house.
“Today a light has gone out, painfully, forever,” she said. “How many Wilberts, how many Jasons, how many more officers will have to lose their lives before the system changes?”
NYPD Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell announced during her eulogy that Mora had been posthumously promoted to detective first grade.
“Even through the tragedy of detectives Mora and Rivera, the NYPD will always believe in New York City,” Sewell said.
“And we know that no matter how you refer to faith, the Mora family can hold within themselves the whole-hearted promise that the men and women of the NYPD, the daughters and sons of this city, will forever honor the sacrifice of their own. And we will humbly, unwaveringly, and faithfully carry on the towering and enduring legacy of Detective First Grade Wilbert Mora.”
Rivera’s funeral was held last Friday at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.
The suspect in the shooting of the two officers, Lashawn McNeil, tried to run but was confronted and shot by a third officer on the scene, police said. McNeil died January 24.
