After Saturday’s brutal shooting of two NYPD officers, local police vigilant

Two days after two police officers were ambushed and brutally killed in Brooklyn, local law enforcement officials remain vigilant.

Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu were shot while sitting in their patrol car Saturday afternoon, sparking a public outcry across the nation — as well as fears that such violence against police could happen again in communities close to home.

Multiple sources have said that the gunman, Ismaaiyl Brinsley, had pledged in an Instagram post to put “wings on pigs” as a way of fighting back against recent deaths of black men by white police officers. It remains unclear if the murders were sparked in response to the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner in recent months.

Locally, police departments are moving forward with caution and mourning the loss of their own.

Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller added that the focus is on ensuring that officers remain informed and that all their information is up to date. “Everyone has to be very vigilant,” he said. “Hopefully, everything will be okay.”

Reflecting on the death of his fellow officers, Hegermiller said, “It’s tragic. It’s hard for me to understand, hard for anyone to understand. It doesn’t make any sense. It’s really insanity. It’s absolutely horrible.”

Southold Police Chief Martin Flatley added, “We are obviously urging our officers to maintain a heightened level of awareness as a result of the deaths of our two NYPD brothers.”

He added, “I believe the public is aware that our profession is a dangerous one and that we are constantly called on to interact with violent and unstable subjects. I believe that each officer has a constant sense of awareness that at any time these interactions can become fatal and they rely on their training and experience to protect themselves. It’s just tragic when you see two officers ambushed such as this, and that they never even had a chance to use any of the above.”

In Southampton, Police Lieutenant Michael Zarro said authorities are reiterating safety procedures with officers. “We’re reminding them not to put themselves, if at all possible, in a dangerous position.” Zarro agreed that officers must be kept up to date on “any newer or perceived threats, or local threats against law enforcement out there. We’re just trying to be extra alert.”

On the loss of his law enforcement brothers,  Zarro said, “It’s a tragedy. I am speechless. Every day you come to work and strap on a gun and a bulletproof vest, and we all know that the crime rate is not as bad on eastern Long Island as in New York City, but you have to keep in the back of your mind that you just never know. It’s always there.”