Rafael L. Ramos
Agency patch
Detective First Grade

Rafael L. Ramos

Felonious
End of Watch December 20, 2014
Age 40
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Badge 9000
The Vigil Panel 164 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Rafael L. Ramos worked for the City as a school safety agent before he joined the New York City Police Department on 9 January 2012. He was a man of deep religious faith and was studying to become a pastor at Christ Tabernacle in Glendale, Queens, his church of many years.

On 20 December 2014, five days before Christmas, then-Police Officer Ramos and his partner, Police Officer Wen Jian Liu, were sitting in their patrol car at the corner of Myrtle and Tompkins Avenues in the 84th Precinct, in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn. A 28-year-old gunman, who had traveled from Baltimore to New York City intending to kill police officers, walked up to the car unseen and opened fire, killing both officers. They were targeted for no reason other than their uniforms. The gunman, who had a long criminal record, later shot and killed himself.

Detective Ramos was 40 years old. He was survived by his wife and two sons.

He and Officer Liu were posthumously promoted to Detective First Grade by Police Commissioner William Bratton.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and two sons.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Ramos gave the New York City Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Ramos.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location New York, NY
Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 20, 2014
Tour of Duty 2 yrs
Age 40
Badge Number 9000
Gender Male
Assignment 84 Precinct

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Rafael is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 2014, 63 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 119th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Rafael was 40. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Rafael had served 2 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Saturdays: 16.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

New York City Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Rafael among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Detective First Grade Rafael L. Ramos

New York City Police Department · End of Watch December 20, 2014

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 53-W

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