On this episode of Our American Stories, Dominique Rivera eulogizes her husband, Detective Jason Rivera, with raw emotion and compelling everyday detail.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we returned to our American stories. And this week,
well it's National Police Week and we're honoring and celebrating
the law enforcement community, particularly those who lost their lives
in the line of duty. On January twenty first, twenty
twenty two, NYPD detective Jason Rivera and his partner Wilbert
(00:32):
More responded to a domestic dispute call in Harlem. The
suspect would open fire and kill both of them. Detective
Rivera was just twenty two years old. Here's a heartbreaking
eulogy Detective Rivera's wife, Dominique, gave him at Saint Patrick's Cathedral.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I would say good morning to you all, but in fact,
it's the worst morning ever. I can't believe I'm standing
in front of thousands of people and the cathedral we
plan to visit later this year. All of this seems
so unreal, like I'm having one of those nightmares that
you never thought you'd have. Friday morning, we were together,
(01:19):
eating breakfast and drinking some Starbucks. Eating was probably our
favorite hobby. Maybe that's why we get in those extra pounds.
Friday morning began just like every other morning before work.
You were always my big spoon, watching Netflix YouTube law
(01:41):
enforcement shorts, read me your emails and wait for your
mom to come home. You packed your book bag because
we had to leave before too and really before too
sharp because of your ICO sergeant. You would drive me
(02:03):
home and say goodbye with three kisses all the time
and texted me when you were eighty four. That was
our routine. At around fifteen hundred, I received a br
B role called text. You told me about your jobs
till it was EOT. This Friday was different. We had
(02:27):
an argument. You know, it's hard being a coup life.
Sometimes it's hard to be impatient when plants were canceled,
or we would go days without seeing each other, or
when you had to write a report that would take
forever because you had to voucher so many things. So
(02:50):
you did OT, but you always reminded me that it
was going to be alright. This Friday, we were arguing
because I didn't want you to use your job phone
while we were together. We left your apartment, and because
I didn't want to continue to argue, I ordered an omber.
(03:14):
You asked me, if you are sure that you don't
want me to take you home, it might be the
last ride I give you. I said no, and that
was probably the biggest mistake I ever made. Later that day,
I received the call I wish none of you that
(03:35):
are sitting here with me will ever receive. I had
gotten a notification from the Citizen app, which was my
central and I saw that two police officers were shot
in a Harlem. My heart dropped. I immediately texted you and
(03:58):
asked you, are you okay? Please tell me you're okay.
I know that you're mad right now, but just text
me you're okay. At least tell me you're busy. I
get no response. We used to share locations on find
(04:19):
my iPhone, and when I check yours, I see that
you're a Hardam hospital. I thought maybe you were sitting
on a purp, but still nothing. I called, and then
called again, and then call one more time, and this
(04:40):
time I felt something wasn't right. I messaged Poka, David
and Joe because I know they were your friends from
the three two, and I get no response. Then I
get a call asking if I'm Jason's wife, and then
(05:01):
I had to rush to the hospital.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
She got that news that no spouse wants to hear,
and it wasn't particular to start two police officers shot
in Harlem, and she knows that's her husband's beat, so
she texted him, are you okay? I called and called again.
I called him one more time. That's when I knew
(05:24):
things weren't right. And then of course she learns, well,
she learns what happens, and now it's off to the hospital.
Let's return to Dominique.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Walking off those steps, seeing everybody staring at me, it
was the scariest moment I've experienced. Nobody was telling me anything.
Thousands of people were surrounding me, and yet I fell alone.
I couldn't believe you laughed to me. Seeing you in
(05:59):
a hospit, I wrapped up in sheets, not hearing you
when I was talking to you broke me. I asked why.
I said to you, wake up, baby, I'm here. The
little bit of hope I had that you would come
(06:20):
back to life, just to say goodbye or say I
love you one more time had left. I was lost.
I'm still lost today. I'm still in this nightmare that
I wish I never had, full of rage and anger,
hurt and sad. Torn. Although I gained thousands of blue
(06:46):
brothers and sisters, I'm the loneliest without you. I know
you're looking at me and besigning me, telling me I
could do this, and I'm trying. Trust me, I am
Jason and I met in elementary school. There was never
a dull moment with him around. He was the class clown.
(07:10):
Got me in trouble. A couple of times had our
teacher sit us away from each other because we couldn't focus.
And we never thought that our innocent childhood love would
lead us to marriage. Even when we said I do,
we couldn't believe we said it. October ninth was the
(07:31):
happiest day of our lives. I know I drove you
crazy saying I love you so many times that he
would stop replying I love you more. But you made
me feel alive. You make me feel alive. Jason is
so happy right now that all of you are here,
(07:53):
through pain and sorrow. This is exactly how he would
have wanted to be remembered, like a true hero, or
like I used to call him, Big po Rivera. You
have the whole nation on grid lock, and although you
won't be here anymore, I want you to live through me.
(08:16):
The system continues to fail us. We are not safe anymore,
not even the members of the service. I know you
were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the
New DA. I hope he's watching you speak through me
right now. I'm sure all of our Blue family is
(08:37):
tired too. But I promise, we promise that your death
won't be in vain. I love you to the end
of time. We'll take the watch from here.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
I love you till the end of time. We'll take
the watch from here. The story of Jason Rivera, the
story of so many officers across this country who've lost
their lives serving and protecting US National Police Week All
week long, here in our American Stories, honoring those who
lost their lives and honoring their families. Here on our
(09:17):
American Stories.
And we returned to our American stories. And this week,
well it's National Police Week and we're honoring and celebrating
the law enforcement community, particularly those who lost their lives
in the line of duty. On January twenty first, twenty
twenty two, NYPD detective Jason Rivera and his partner Wilbert
(00:32):
More responded to a domestic dispute call in Harlem. The
suspect would open fire and kill both of them. Detective
Rivera was just twenty two years old. Here's a heartbreaking
eulogy Detective Rivera's wife, Dominique, gave him at Saint Patrick's Cathedral.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
I would say good morning to you all, but in fact,
it's the worst morning ever. I can't believe I'm standing
in front of thousands of people and the cathedral we
plan to visit later this year. All of this seems
so unreal, like I'm having one of those nightmares that
you never thought you'd have. Friday morning, we were together,
(01:19):
eating breakfast and drinking some Starbucks. Eating was probably our
favorite hobby. Maybe that's why we get in those extra pounds.
Friday morning began just like every other morning before work.
You were always my big spoon, watching Netflix YouTube law
(01:41):
enforcement shorts, read me your emails and wait for your
mom to come home. You packed your book bag because
we had to leave before too and really before too
sharp because of your ICO sergeant. You would drive me
(02:03):
home and say goodbye with three kisses all the time
and texted me when you were eighty four. That was
our routine. At around fifteen hundred, I received a br
B role called text. You told me about your jobs
till it was EOT. This Friday was different. We had
(02:27):
an argument. You know, it's hard being a coup life.
Sometimes it's hard to be impatient when plants were canceled,
or we would go days without seeing each other, or
when you had to write a report that would take
forever because you had to voucher so many things. So
(02:50):
you did OT, but you always reminded me that it
was going to be alright. This Friday, we were arguing
because I didn't want you to use your job phone
while we were together. We left your apartment, and because
I didn't want to continue to argue, I ordered an omber.
(03:14):
You asked me, if you are sure that you don't
want me to take you home, it might be the
last ride I give you. I said no, and that
was probably the biggest mistake I ever made. Later that day,
I received the call I wish none of you that
(03:35):
are sitting here with me will ever receive. I had
gotten a notification from the Citizen app, which was my
central and I saw that two police officers were shot
in a Harlem. My heart dropped. I immediately texted you and
(03:58):
asked you, are you okay? Please tell me you're okay.
I know that you're mad right now, but just text
me you're okay. At least tell me you're busy. I
get no response. We used to share locations on find
(04:19):
my iPhone, and when I check yours, I see that
you're a Hardam hospital. I thought maybe you were sitting
on a purp, but still nothing. I called, and then
called again, and then call one more time, and this
(04:40):
time I felt something wasn't right. I messaged Poka, David
and Joe because I know they were your friends from
the three two, and I get no response. Then I
get a call asking if I'm Jason's wife, and then
(05:01):
I had to rush to the hospital.
Speaker 1 (05:03):
She got that news that no spouse wants to hear,
and it wasn't particular to start two police officers shot
in Harlem, and she knows that's her husband's beat, so
she texted him, are you okay? I called and called again.
I called him one more time. That's when I knew
(05:24):
things weren't right. And then of course she learns, well,
she learns what happens, and now it's off to the hospital.
Let's return to Dominique.
Speaker 2 (05:35):
Walking off those steps, seeing everybody staring at me, it
was the scariest moment I've experienced. Nobody was telling me anything.
Thousands of people were surrounding me, and yet I fell alone.
I couldn't believe you laughed to me. Seeing you in
(05:59):
a hospit, I wrapped up in sheets, not hearing you
when I was talking to you broke me. I asked why.
I said to you, wake up, baby, I'm here. The
little bit of hope I had that you would come
(06:20):
back to life, just to say goodbye or say I
love you one more time had left. I was lost.
I'm still lost today. I'm still in this nightmare that
I wish I never had, full of rage and anger,
hurt and sad. Torn. Although I gained thousands of blue
(06:46):
brothers and sisters, I'm the loneliest without you. I know
you're looking at me and besigning me, telling me I
could do this, and I'm trying. Trust me, I am
Jason and I met in elementary school. There was never
a dull moment with him around. He was the class clown.
(07:10):
Got me in trouble. A couple of times had our
teacher sit us away from each other because we couldn't focus.
And we never thought that our innocent childhood love would
lead us to marriage. Even when we said I do,
we couldn't believe we said it. October ninth was the
(07:31):
happiest day of our lives. I know I drove you
crazy saying I love you so many times that he
would stop replying I love you more. But you made
me feel alive. You make me feel alive. Jason is
so happy right now that all of you are here,
(07:53):
through pain and sorrow. This is exactly how he would
have wanted to be remembered, like a true hero, or
like I used to call him, Big po Rivera. You
have the whole nation on grid lock, and although you
won't be here anymore, I want you to live through me.
(08:16):
The system continues to fail us. We are not safe anymore,
not even the members of the service. I know you
were tired of these laws, especially the ones from the
New DA. I hope he's watching you speak through me
right now. I'm sure all of our Blue family is
(08:37):
tired too. But I promise, we promise that your death
won't be in vain. I love you to the end
of time. We'll take the watch from here.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
I love you till the end of time. We'll take
the watch from here. The story of Jason Rivera, the
story of so many officers across this country who've lost
their lives serving and protecting US National Police Week All
week long, here in our American Stories, honoring those who
lost their lives and honoring their families. Here on our
(09:17):
American Stories.
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