KENNEWICK — Jeffery Cobb remembers the show of support from around the nation when four Lakewood police officers were gunned down in a Pierce County coffee shop.
The officers were ambushed by a lone gunmen in 2009 as they did early-morning paperwork. Cobb — a Pasco police officer and son of Richland Capt. Mike Cobb — remembers the tragic incident all too well.
That’s why Cobb and reserve Franklin County Deputy Stephen McKeown plan to fly to New York this weekend to represent the Tri-Cities at the funeral of New York police Officer Wenjian Liu. The 32-year-old was shot to death Dec. 20 in Brooklyn along with Officer Rafael Ramos, 40.
Police say Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who had just shot his girlfriend, ambushed the two officers as they sat in their patrol car. Brinsley committed suicide a short time later.
Cobb felt compelled to travel to the funeral to show those in New York that they had the support of the entire Tri-City community.
“As a police officer, I represent my community. I am not going back as just a police officer but a (representative) of my community,” he said. “I want to extend support to New York and let them know we are here.”
Part of the trip will be made possible by Jet Blue Airways, which offered to fly law enforcement officers from across the nation to Lui’s funeral. The airlines offered free flights to two members of any law enforcement agency to attend both funerals.
Ramos was buried last weekend and a funeral for Lui, who is believed to be the first Chinese-American killed in the line of duty, is scheduled for Sunday. The New York Times reports the service will be held at a funeral home with Buddhist monks and traditional Chinese customs.
Cobb, 28, and McKewon, who are friends, are the only Tri-City law enforcement attending the service, officials said. Cobb has been with the department for three years and is a patrol officer.
The attack hit close to home for Cobb because he knows the dangers officers face every day to ensure their communities remain safe, he said. Cobb told the Herald the slayings have been a topic of discussion among local officers and everyone has a heightened sense of awareness due to protests happening nationwide.
A survey by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found 126 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty this year. There were 102 officers killed while on duty in 2013, the survey said.
Fifteen of the officers killed this year died during ambushes, compared to five in 2013, the survey said. Fifty officers who died in 2014 were killed with guns.
“Every time you leave your house you don’t know if you are coming home,” Cobb said. “That’s a daily thing. But it’s a decision we made.”
