Two NYPD Officers Shot, Killed In Ambush Attack In Brooklyn

On Saturday, December 20, two New York Police Officers were shot and killed ambush-style in Brooklyn. Officer Rapael Ramos and Officer Webjian Liu were attacked in their patrol car, Police Commissioner William Bratton said.

New York Police Officer Rafael Ramos

New York Police Officer Wenjian Liu

According to CNN, Officer Rafael Ramos sat in the driver's seat while Officer Wenjian Liu was at his side.

The two cops weren't at their usual precinct -- normally, the pair was assigned to downtown Brooklyn, but they were working a "critical response" detail in an area with higher crime, police said.

In a press conference, authorities said the gunman approached the passenger side of the patrol car and opened fire several times, fatally wounding officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos.

They were “shot and killed with no warning, no provocation,” Bratton told reporters. “They were quite simply, assassinated.”

Both Officers were shot in the head, Bratton said.

The gunman was later found dead in a nearby subway station from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police identified the shooter as Ismaaiyl Brinsley.

The gunman arrived in New York from Baltimore, but had a residence in Atlanta, Bratton said.

Prior to the incident, Ismaaiyl Brinsley posted threatening comments about police on his social media account. Police investigation also revealed that Brinsley had shot and severely wounded a woman believed to be his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore.