This morning, Officer Miosotis Familia, a 12-year NYPD veteran, former Red Cross worker and mother of three, was ambushed, shot and killed by a parolee while sitting in her police vehicle in the Bronx.
Today’s incident comes on the heels of last week’s shooting of San Antonio Police Officers Miguel Moreno and Julio Cavazos as they exited their patrol car to speak with the shooter and another man about a vehicle break-in. Officer Moreno died as a result of a gunshot wound to the head, and Officer Cavazos underwent surgery for his gunshot wounds and has been released from the hospital.
As the details of these tragic events continue to unfold, what is known is that the last several years have seen a surge of violence targeted toward law enforcement. All violence must be condemned, including violence against police officers whose job it is to protect and serve the public. Those who attack police seek to instill fear and create division, but these incidents often have the opposite effect — they unite police and civilians against senseless acts of hate and violence.
“We send our thoughts and prayers to these officers and their families, friends and colleagues,” says Marshall McClain, co-founder of AAAPO and president of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association. “Police officers go to work every day with the sole focus of protecting and defending our communities, and it is truly tragic when an officer is killed for doing a job they love. These heartbreaking incidents, which are happening all too often, remind us that we must end this wave of hate against law enforcement, and I hope elected leaders and policy makers will rise up and speak out in support of the men and women who wear the uniform.”
“Attacks against police are attacks on all of us and all of our freedoms,” says Paul Nunziato, co-founder of AAAPO and president of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Benevolent Association. “Police will not be intimidated by the cowardly actions of a few. The deaths of Officers Familia and Moreno are not in vain. What these attackers do not get is that incidents like this will not divide us but only make us stronger.”
AAAPO sends condolences to the families of Officers Familia and Moreno, and wishes Officer Cavazos a speedy recovery.