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Wenjian Liu
Agency patch
Detective First Grade

Wenjian Liu

New York City Police Department — New York, NY
Felonious
United States flag New York flag
End of Watch December 20, 2014
Age 32
Tour of Duty 7 yrs 6 mo
Badge 9001
The Vigil Panel 365 · Column 4 · Line 7 ›
Gender Male
Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Memorials 1 Department 1,221

Incident

Wen Jian Liu, known to his colleagues as Joe, was the only son of parents who emigrated from China to the United States when he was 12 years old. He served with the New York City Police Department for seven years.

On 20 December 2014, five days before Christmas, then-Police Officer Liu and his partner, Police Officer Rafael Ramos, 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 Liu was 32 years old. He had married two months before his death. His widow later gave birth to their daughter in 2017.

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

Survivors

He is survived by his wife of two months and parents.

In Our Keeping

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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Detective Liu gave the New York City Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Liu.

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

Agency

Department New York City Police Department
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 7 yrs 6 mo
Age 32
Badge Number 9001
Gender Male
Assignment 84 Precinct

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  3. 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

Wenjian was 32. 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. Wenjian had served 7.5 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, Wenjian among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Detective First Grade Wenjian Liu

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

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 49-W

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