NEW YORK CITY – The grieving widow of slain NYPD Det. Jason Rivera called out New York City’s newly elected district attorney and a system that “continues to fail us” during her heartbreaking speech at her fallen husband’s Friday funeral.
Dominique Luzuriaga fought tears as she recalled growing up with and ultimately marrying her longtime love and the moments that their lives changed forever. Rivera, only 22, was shot and killed just one week earlier while he and his partner, Officer Wilbert Mora, were responding to a domestic violence call.
Rivera was posthumously promoted to Detective First Grade. Mora, who was shot in the head, died several days after the shooting.
“The system continues to fail us,” Luzuriaga said. “We are not safe anymore. Not even the members of the service.”
Luzuriaga went on to talk about how her husband was “tired of these laws, especially the ones from the new D.A.”
The newly elected New York City district attorney, Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg, announced in one of his first days in office that he would be applying less stringent policies for prosecuting certain crimes. He later clarified the controversial memo, saying it gave the “wrong impression.”
MANHATTAN DA ALVIN BRAGG TRIES TO CLARIFY CONTROVERSIAL POLICY MEMO, SAYS IT GAVE ‘WRONG IMPRESSION’
During her speech on Friday, Luzuriaga said she hoped the newly minted D.A. was “watching you speak through me right now.”
Bragg was in the audience at the time, Fox News has confirmed. In a statement provided via email to Fox News shortly thereafter, he said he is “grieving and praying for Detective Rivera and Officer Mora today and every day.”
“My thoughts are with their families and the NYPD. Violence against police officers will never be tolerated. My office will vigorously prosecute cases of violence against police and work to prevent senseless acts like this from ever happening again.”
Thousands gather for the funeral for fallen NYPD Officer Jason Rivera
(Fox News Digital/ Michael Ruiz)
“I’m sure all of our blue family is tired too,” Luzuriaga continued. “But I promise, we promise, that your death won’t be in vain.”
Luzuriaga said her husband would have been “so happy” to see the crowds honoring him “through pain and sorrow.”
Before she stepped down from the podium, she added: “I promise, we promise that your death won’t be in vain. I love you to the end of time. We’ll take the watch from here.”
New York Police officers gather for the funeral of Officer Jason Rivera, Friday, Jan. 28, 2022, outside St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Earlier in the ceremony, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell posthumously promoted Rivera to Detective First Grade.
“Only 22 years, Jason found the woman and the career of his dreams. Many don’t accomplish that in their entire lifetimes,” Sewell said. “He was a man of unbounded generosity, humble heart. He showed us how to be better. His selfless acts of humility have been remembered over the past week.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Sewell added: “His loss is extremely difficult. For us all to bear. Jason rose to every challenge that crossed his path. He was everything the city and the NYPD needed him to be.”
Fox News’ Tamara Gitt contributed to this report.
