Transcript: Mayor de Blasio Delivers Remarks at Street Renaming Ceremony for Detective Wenjian Liu

June 13, 2015

Mayor Bill de Blasio: Thank you so much, Lieutenant Giorgio. We gather together today to honor a good man – a very good man – a man who we should all hope to emulate in all we do. Detective Wenjian Liu epitomized sacrifice, courage, concern for others. And that example will now be remembered in yet another way, and we will ensure that his name and legacy is passed on to future generations in many ways, one of which will be the naming of this street today. West 6th Street between Avenue S and Avenue T will be known, going forward, as Detective Wenjian Liu Way.

[Applause]

And for the Liu family – for their neighbors, their friends, the entire community, this will be one physical manifestation of the life of a great man – one more reminder of his brave spirit.  I want to thank Commissioner Bratton and all the members of the NYPD leadership who are here today. I want to thank the family of Detective Liu – of course his father, Wei Tang Liu; his mother, Xiu Yan Li – who we have all had the honor of getting to know their strength, their dignity – his wife, Pei Xia Chen, who has spoken with such eloquence about the meaning of her husband’s life. And I want to thank all of the Liu family members and all of the Ramos family members as well, who are here. The two families have been in such great solidarity with each other, and we honor that.

And I also want to thank Captain Sergio Centa and all of the officers with us today from the 8-4 Precinct. I want to thank Pat Lynch, president of the PBA and all other labor leaders with us today; and my colleagues in public office, Speaker Mark-Viverito, Borough President Adams, Senator Golden, Assembly Member Colton, and Council Member Treyger. And I particularly want to thank the speaker and the council member for the work the City Council did to ensure this renaming would occur and would occur promptly. We thank you.

[Applause]

It’s powerful to be remembered in the place that was yours, and this was Detective Liu’s place. This was where he first experienced New York City and the United States of America. This was where the American dream came true for him and it did come true. He came here, he had to learn English. He got an education. He followed his dreams and he did it with such tremendous poise and talent, and that’s why he kept finding each door opening for him – because he was the kind of person who was worthy, and not just worthy in terms of education or in terms of his achievements on the job – worthy because of his commitment to his family. We’ve heard the stories but it’s so important to reflect on them. We all wish for children who would think about their parents every day. That was Detective Liu. In fact, one of his proudest moments was right near here where he bet – he bought – he bought a house for his parents, knowing it would secure them as they continued in their lives – that they would have the security of a house that he – product of the American dream – was able to buy for them. That is not only a compassionate son, but a son who always tried to do right. And he always tried to do right by his wife as well.

He was the kind of man who took so much from helping others. And that was true on the job, that was true with his family, that was true in his neighborhood. He gave everything to others and he gave everything to all of us, serving in the line of duty. This city, this nation now knows of his life. We were heartbroken together. We were heartbroken for the loss of Detective Ramos, together. But we learned about two great men – two men who are, to so many of us, an example of what we aspire to for this whole society.

The NYPD, as always, has been a true extended family. Those words are not just words when it comes to the NYPD. It’s a truth. It’s a reality. They stand by the families of those who served and those families will always know the embrace of the NYPD. Last month, our nation honored Detective Liu and Detective Ramos. A law signed by President Obama created a national alert system to warn officers of any threats to their lives. These men didn’t die in vain for so many reasons, because they did so much good and they touched so many lives positively. And now, even though they are no longer with us here physically, their spirit lives on and they have touched the lives of our entire nation with a law that has been passed and named for them. On Tuesday, both men received the Medal of Honor – the NYPD’s highest award for courageous sacrifice.

I’ll conclude by noting – this was not just a brave man and a strong man, but a profoundly warm and compassionate man. He cared so deeply for his family. There was a love that ran through all he did. And his love for his wife was so clear. And she has said, since his loss, something very simple and something so obviously true as you get to know her. She said of Detective Liu, “He is my heart.” And he remains close in everything she does. In fact, she wears his badge every day. That connects us to a powerful sentiment once expressed by the great thinker, Confucius, who said, “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” The Liu family continues to go with all of their heart and their heart includes Detective Liu, and the heart of all New Yorkers does as well. Thank you.