Funeral for slain NYPD officer may be largest in force's history

2014-12-27 6

HUNDREDS were inside Christ Tabernacle Church on Saturday for funeral services of NYPD officer Rafael Ramos.

But outside the church in surrounding streets ... THOUSANDS upon thousands of uniformed police officers ...

... standing in quiet unity with his grieving widow and teenaged sons.

They came from across the U.S. -- delegations from police forces in St. Louis, New Orleans, Boston, Atlanta and Washington D.C. -- some even from Canada.

... a sea of blue in silent tribute to Ramos and his fallen partner Wenjian Liu.

Both men were gunned down execution style in their patrol car by a man who wanted to avenge the killings of unarmed black men by police.

A police spokesman said Ramos' funeral may be the largest ever in the force's history.

The officer's deaths have become a rallying point for police and their supporters around the country -- beleaguered by months of anti-police protests by demonstrators who say police practices are marked by racis