Thousands of loved ones, law enforcement officers and dignitaries gathered on Long Island Thursday to remember the young NYPD officer fatally shot on the job in Queens over the weekend.
A solemn line of civilians and officers in full uniform snaked around blue barriers outside the Frank J. Chapey and Sons Funeral Home in Bethpage, where a wake was being held for 25-year-old Brian Moore, who was shot in the head as he tried to stop a man suspected of carrying a handgun.
Purple bunting hung with photos of the officer in the windows of businesses near the funeral home; blue ribbons were tied to utility poles and trees throughout the neighborhood in honor of Moore, who came from a family of police and fulfilled his own dream of joining the NYPD.
"He followed his father into the business. I know something about that," said Gov. Cuomo, who attended the wake along with Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. "It shows great respect for his father."
Cuomo called Moore's death "so sudden" and "so pointless." A neighbor said the entire community was devastated by the loss of Moore, who lived in nearby North Massapequa.
Moore underwent surgery after Saturday's shooting for "severe injuries to his skull and brain" and was put in a medically induced coma, authorities said. He died Monday afternoon after being taken off life support at Jamaica Hospital.
At Moore's wake Thursday, heavily armed officers patrolled the streets as officers with sniper rifles monitored the tragic scene from nearby buildings.
Moore had been on the force for only a handful of years, but he had already built up a record of more than 150 arrests and had earned meritorious service medals. He was the son, nephew and cousin of NYPD officers. They were at his side when he died at a hospital.
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Friends remembered Moore as a good guy eager to join the police force.
"He was just a regular, scrawny little kid who never got into trouble," Jessica Anatra said of her former Plainedge High School classmate. "Just seeing his face and hearing about it, it's horrible. He was a really nice kid. What happened is disgusting. He put his life on the line for us."
Moore's funeral is planned for Friday at St. James Roman Catholic Church in Seaford. An estimated 30,000 police officers are expected to attend.
The suspect in his killing, Demetrius Blackwell, faces charges including murder, attempted murder and other crimes. He is being held without bail and has not entered a plea.
His attorney has denied the charges.
