The Death of Mora & Rivera, Two of New York City’s Finest Law Enforcement Officers
When Wilbert Mora first arrived in New York, he was just seven years old, but even at that age, he was clear that he wanted to grow up to become a police officer. He did earn a badge and became known for his excellent manner and quiet nature. In his three years in the job, the 27-year-old young man made everyone fond of him, including his seniors.
But fate had other plans.
The Incident
On Jan 21, Officer Mora found himself trapped in an attack that took his life after 12 days. Today, Dominican-Americans mourn the death of two outstanding officers, Mora and Rivera, who left this world at a very young age, right at the start of their careers.
Read below to know more. You can also get an English to Spanish translation of this writing piece through us.
Details of the Incident
On Jan 21, Officer Jason Rivera and his partner, Officer Mora, received a call from one of the Harlem apartments. It was from a woman who called to inform that her son was after her life and was acting extremely threatening.
After attending the call, both officers rushed to the location. On their arrival, they were told that the lady’s son was available in the bedroom located in the back of the house.
The officers had to cross a long hallway before approaching the room. However, once they did, Mr. McNeil, the son of the lady who called, appeared from nowhere and opened fire at the officers.
Unfortunately, Officer Rivera lost his life on the spot while Officer Mora got many wounds and was hospitalized for a week before he died. Mr. McNeil was killed by the third officer on the site, Officer SumitSulan.
The incident left everyone in shock, especially the Dominican Americans. More than 2.08 million people with Dominican backgrounds live in the USA today. Most of them speak and understand English; however, those who don’t could use a remote translation service to translate information on such events.
Rivera and Mora-Background
Both Rivera and Mora were Dominican-Americans but grew up in New York. While they were growing up, both individuals noticed how the police used different tactics to target Latino and Black men in the country.
However, they also noticed how such acts were deemed as practices against civil rights during their teenage years. This fact encouraged both boys to join the police force and play their roles in making the country a safe avenue for everyone.
As soon as Mora graduated from the prestigious John Jay College of Criminal Justice, he became a part of the New York Police Department. His interest in improving relationships between Hispanic and Black neighborhoods and police encouraged him to join the police force in 2018.
On the other hand, Rivera was a worker in a pharmacy before he shifted his job and joined the forces. He was a young 22-year-old married man with lots of passion for justice.
The Death
On the day of the incident, Officer Rivera lost his life right away. However, Officer Mora was taken to the Harlem Hospital as soon as he was shot.
His condition was quite severe, and the professionals soon realized that he wouldn’t make it. And so, he was urgently shifted to NYU Langone Medical Center.
On the morning of Jan 25, Officer Mora was moved out of the intensive care and received an honor walk on his way to the operation theater. He donated his organs to five different patients located in three states.
Funeral
On Feb 2, Wilbert Mora had his funeral, where every attendee remembered him for his courage, compassion, and warmth. His funeral took place in St. Patrick’s Cathedral, where he was given lots of honor before being laid to rest.
The funeral had the grieving parents of Officer Mora and the rest of his family. According to Mora’s siblings, the man was full of life and aspirations.
In his speech, Wilson Mora said, “Everyone says you were a big teddy bear of a man, but you were like that even when you were little.”
Both Rivera and Mora were remembered as officers who wanted to see good prevail in society. Karina Mora, Officer Mora’s sister, made a eulogy in Spanish in which she mentioned how the death of her brother feels like a never-ending nightmare.
If you want to read her eulogy, a remote interpreting service can help you with Spanish document translation to understand every word.
There are almost 36,000 police officers in New York City, and one-third of them have a Latin background. Rivera and Mora were two young officers who aimed to increase the representation of Dominicans in the New York police force.
After the funeral, Keechant Sewell (NYPD Commissioner) announced the promotion of Rivera and Mora to first-grade detectives.
What’s Next
This incident has raised many questions about the increase in gun violence in the region. But unfortunately, Rivera and Mora are not the only officers killed while performing their duty.
Before them, an officer lost his life in 2017 during a shooting incident in the Bronx.
Then only last year, an officer was pronounced dead after a quarrel with a drunk driver. Friendly fire in 2019 also took the lives of two officers in the same year.
Mora and Rivera’s family demand a change in the system, so no more officers have to go through the same while protecting this country.
Wrap Up
The deaths of Officer Mora and Officer Rivera have shaken everyone to the core. These two young police officers lost their lives while saving a woman from her threatening son.
Officer Rivera was pronounced dead on the spot, while Mora left the world a week after the incident. However, this incident has forced New York’s mayor, Eric Adams, to design regulations and make efforts to reduce violence.
If you want to know more about this incident, you can get an English to Spanish translation of eulogies made at Officer Mora’s funeral. His family made speeches in Spanish and remembered him as a courageous and happy person.