Public School 54K Renamed in Honor of Detective Rafael Ramos

By Williamsburg 365 Staff

This past Friday morning, Public School 54K held a renaming ceremony in honor of Detective Rafael Ramos, who was tragically killed in the line of duty.

Detective Ramos, along with his partner, Detective Wenjian Liu, was ambushed and shot while sitting in their patrol car at the intersection of Myrtle and Thompkins Avenues in Bedford-Stuyvesant.

Both officers were participating in an anti-terrorism drill when a suspect walked up to their patrol car and opened fire, striking them multiple times in the head and upper body. The suspect, a gang member from Baltimore, Maryland, had traveled to New York City with the explicit intention of ambushing police officers, a plan he had announced on social media prior to the shooting. The suspect fled into a nearby subway station, where he committed suicide after being pursued by other officers.

Detective Rafael Ramos served with the NYPD for two years and was assigned to the 84th Precinct. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of detective and is survived by his wife and two sons.

The renaming ceremony was attended by numerous high-ranking officials and police officers, who gathered to honor Detective Ramos's memory and his sacrifice for the city.