Murders of Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu

On December 20, 2014, the intersection of Myrtle and Tompkins Avenues became the site of a targeted assassination that shocked the city. Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were stationed in their patrol car here for an anti-terrorism assignment when a lone gunman approached the vehicle and opened fire through the passenger window. The attack, occurring just five days before Christmas, abruptly ended the lives of both officers while they were on routine duty. This event prompted a national conversation regarding the safety of law enforcement officers and led to the eventual passage of the Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu National Blue Alert Act.