NY police officer of Pakistani-origin laid to rest with full honours

The slain Pakistani-American officer of the New York Police Department (NYPD) Adeel Fayaz was laid to rest on Thursday, after an elaborate memorial ceremony and funeral attended by hundreds, including top city officials, friends, family and fellow officers.

The 26-year-old Fayaz, a father of two young children, was off-duty when he was shot and killed last week during an attempted robbery.

His funeral took place at Makki Masjid in Brooklyn, and drew a large number of mourners.

Pakistan was represented by Consul General Ayesha Ali, who paid tributes to the slain officer for his dedication to duty.

Pakistani community members were present in full force, including representatives of the prominent political group — the American-Pakistan Public Affairs Committee (APPAC) — Dr Ijaz Ahmad, Asad Chaudhry, Tanveer Chaudhry, Asif Riaz, Naheed Bhatti, Badar Bhatti, Iftikhar Ahmad, and Rizwan Yazdan.

Although officer Fayaz was off-duty, he was granted the solemn ritual of a line-of-duty funeral.

Also read: NY police officer of Pak origin dies

A motorcycle escort cleared the way for the police ambulance. Highways were closed as the procession made its way to the Makki Masjid, where the service took place.

As his casket was brought out of the ambulance, hundreds of police officers stood at attention and saluted on Brooklyn’s Coney Island Avenue which passes through an area called “Little Pakistan”.

NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell spoke at the funeral service for his heartbroken colleagues.

“We cannot allow anger or grief to eternally paralyse us, darken our hearts, test our resolve or break our will to hold those to account for malice in this city,” Sewell said.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams also spoke at the funeral service. “I know this community, I know how much you believe in public safety, how much you believe in family, how much you believe in faith,” Adams stated.

The funeral drew police officers from the Tri-State area and from around the world.

“The whole Pakistani community is devastated right now,” said NYPD Auxiliary officer Baqir Ahmad. “We lost a true hero. Officer Fayaz was a true hero. He lost his life at a young age and the whole Pakistani community is mourning his loss.”

Fayaz’s accused killer, 38-year-old Randy Jones, was in court on Wednesday.

Prosecutors say Jones listed a Honda Odyssey mini van for sale on Facebook Marketplace in a setup to rob Fayaz of $24,000 in cash.

“It is the type of car that lures hard-working people like Officer Fayaz and his brother-in-law,” Assistant District Attorney Leila Rosini said.

Jones met Fayaz and his brother-in-law in Brooklyn last week, where he attempted to rob the off-duty officer before shooting him in the head.

The suspect was later arrested from a hotel room.