A Bed-Stuy elementary school school will be re-named to honor slain NYPD officer Detective Rafael Ramos, who was shot and killed in the neighborhood in 2014.
The school, P.S. 54 on Sandord Street, will officially take Ramos’ name during a ceremony on Sept. 13, according to the Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation.
Ramos and another officer, Detective Wenjian Liu, were shot and killed while sitting in their patrol car at the corner of Tompkins and Myrtle avenues on Dec. 22, 2014. The gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, had allegedly killed his girlfriend in Baltimore before traveling to New York City after posting online that he planned to kill police officers, angered by the killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. After shooting Ramos and Liu, Brinsley, pursued by cops, fled into the Myrtle-Willoughby subway station and shot himself.
Maritza Ramos’, the officer’s widow, said her husband was “not just a police officer.”
“He was a loving father, a brother, and a man of God dedicated to his family and community,” Maritza said in a statement. “Through this foundation and renaming, we strive to carry forward his mission of unity, service, and hope for a brighter future.”
The Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation, a nonprofit founded after the officer’s death, is “dedicated to preserving [Ramos’] memory and legacy” through community initiatives, promoting public safety, and scholarships. In a statement, the foundation said it has worked to heal “strained relationships” between law enforcement and the communities they protect, and that the renaming ceremony will not only memorialize Ramos, but open the door for “a new generation to see law enforcement officers as partners in creating a safe and harmonious society.”
Ramos’ colleague, Liu, was honored earlier this year with the naming of a new school in Borough Park — P.S. 331 The Detective Wenjian Liu School of Civics and Entrepreneurship was given its name in April, and is set to open in September.
“This renaming is not merely a tribute; it is a powerful call to action,” said Detective Rafael Ramos Foundation president J.W. Cortés, in a statement. “By honoring our heroes, we inspire future leaders and young scholars to live their lives with passion and purpose. The scholars who walk the halls of this school will be constantly reminded of Detective Ramos’s courage and dedication.”
The renaming ceremony will take place on at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept 13. at P.S. 54, 195 Sandford St. off of Willoughby Avenue.
