Police group calls for action by politicians as NYPD officer is laid to rest: 'Do not look away'

close

Video

Joe Gamaldi: Do not look away from Officer Rivera's funeral

National vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police Joe Gamaldi calls on Congress to support the Protect and Serve Act which would make assaulting a police officer a federal crime.

Joe Gamaldi, national vice president of the Fraternal Order of Police, called for action as NYPD Officer Jason Rivera was laid to rest. On "The Faulkner Focus" Friday, Gamaldi implored Americans to "not look away" and to acknowledge the pain after what was the deadliest year for law enforcement in 2021. 

FALLEN NYPD DT. JASON RIVERA'S GRIEVING WIDOW CALLS OUT MANHATTAN DA BRAGG IN HEARTBREAKING FUNERAL SPEECH

JOE GAMALDI: In 2021, the FBI just released this study that it was the deadliest year for law enforcement for intentional homicides in 20 years. Me and my 800,000 brothers and sisters across this country have attended entirely too many funerals, and there'll be more because that's the nature of what we do. But watching this NYPD funeral is heartbreaking. The devastation of this family. The officers in attendance. And I beg you, if you're watching, don't look away. It's difficult to watch these funerals, but do not look away because that is the very pain that we are feeling right now. It's the very pain that the country's feeling right now. 

And there's going to be a lot of people after this that say, ‘we have thoughts and prayers,’ and a lot of politicians will come out and say, ‘we support law enforcement.’ But I've had enough of the talk. I want action. We all want action. And it's more than past time. If you're a sitting member of Congress, you need to support and pass the Protect and Serve Act, which will make it a federal crime to assault a police officer. We've had enough of the talk. We want action because we're being murdered in these streets and hunted down.

WATCH THE FULL INTERVIEW BELOW:

Video