NYPD Officer Jason Rivera Laid to Rest With a Hero's Funeral at St. Patrick's Cathedral

JANUARY 28: A woman with a banner walks out of the cathedral alongside thousands of police officers from different states who gather at St. Patrick's Cathedral to attend the funeral of fallen NYPD officer Jason Rivera on January 28, 2022 in New York City.
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Jason Rivera, 22, was on the job for less than two years when the incident happened.

Jason Rivera, a rookie NYPD officer, was laid to rest after being shot dead during a domestic disturbance call in a Harlem apartment. The 22-year-old was on the job for less than two years when the incident happened.

Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, was in critical condition after getting shot in the face during the incident and later died the next day.

Thousands of officers, locals and loved ones arrived to pay their respects to Jason, according to CBS News.

During the service, Jason's wife, Dominique Luzuriaga, gave a eulogy in front of a packed St. Patrick Cathedral and shared that she and Jason had a quarrel the morning he died.

"You asked me if, 'You are sure that you don't want me to take you home; it might be the last ride I give you.' I said, 'No,' and that was probably the biggest mistake I ever made," Luzuriaga said in her speech.

"My heart dropped," she said upon learning about the shooting. "I immediately texted you and asked you, 'Are you OK? Please tell me you're OK.'"

"Nobody was telling me anything. Dozens of people were surrounding me, and yet I felt alone," she added. "I couldn't believe you left me."

During the 10-minute eulogy, Luzuriaga also addressed Alvin Bragg, the newly elected Manhattan district attorney, CBS reports

"I know you are tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope he's watching you speak through me right now," she noted. "I'm sure all of our blue family is tired too. But I promise, we promise, that your death won't be in vain. I love you until the end of time. We'll take the watch from here." 

The pair had been married since October.

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