On Saturday, two NYPD officers were shot and killed execution style in Brooklyn while sitting in their patrol car. The officers, Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, were shot in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood when 28-year-old gunman Ismaaiyl Brinsley walked up to the car without saying a word and fired multiple shots through the passenger window. Brinsley then took his own life.
"They were quite simply assassinated, targeted for their uniform," New York Police Commissioner Bill Bratton said.
Brinsley posted on his Instagram account before fatally shooting the officers, "I'm putting wings on pigs today. They take 1 of ours, let's take 2 of theirs," using the hashtags #Shootthepolice #RIPErivGardner (sic) #RIPMikeBrown.
While the city mourns the death of the fallen officers, the Yankees are showing their appreciation for the men who protected New York, offering to pay for Ramos' children's education.
Late Yankee owner George Steinbrenner started the Steinbrenner's Yankee Silver Shield Foundation which has been providing education for children of fallen NYPD, FDNY and Port Authority employees who die in the line of duty for the past 32 years.
The foundation will foot the bill for Ramos' 13-year-old son Jaden and his older son Justin, who currently attends Bowdoin College in Maine. Liu, 32, was recently married two months ago and had no children.
The Yankees are not the only New York sports team showing support for the slain officers. New York Jets player Nick Mangold wore a NYPD baseball cap when he walked onto MetLife Stadium for Sunday's game.
"Every one of those guys that's out there, they risk their lives every day," Mangold said. "They go out there to keep the community safe and for that to happen to those two guys, their families, that's a raw deal. If wearing that (cap) gives them a little bit of comfort or shows support for those folks, I'm happy to do it."
Wearing an NYPD hat, @nickmangold walks into the stadium. pic.twitter.com/dcsVTGz9jr
— Kristian Dyer (@KristianRDyer) December 21, 2014
New York Giants coach Tim Coughlin wore a black strip on his shoulder and a peace sign pin to honor the officers during the game against the Rams in St. Louis.
The NYPD is currently investigating 15 other threats that have been posted on social media.
