By Jonann Brady
Known by his colleagues as the "Haitian Sensation," for his sartorial style, and by his family as "Little Darling," Nemorin, 36, was one of two officers killed March 10 in a Staten Island gun-buying operation gone wrong. He and his partner, Det. Rodney Andrews, are the first police officers killed in the line of duty since Sept. 11, 2001.
Fellow officers gave a white-gloved salute as Nemorin's flag-draped casket was carried into Our Lady of Refuge Church in Flatbush, and the wails of family members cut through the melancholy bagpipe strains of "Amazing Grace." Family members, including Nemorin's wife, Rose-Andre, his parents, who traveled from Haiti, and seven siblings, held one another for support as they slowly followed the casket up the church steps.
Clusters of police officers and mourners stood outside the church, listening to the service, which was broadcast on loudspeakers.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that "heroism is an overused term ... but that's what James Nemorin was" in his "twilight struggle" to rid the streets of guns. Bloomberg also spoke of the city's outrage over the crime and said he would "ensure the prosecution will be swift and assertive." Six people have been arrested in connection with the murders, and many officials are calling for the death penalty for the alleged triggerman, 20-year-old Ronell Wilson.
Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly also spoke, calling the killing of a police officer "not an assault on an individual but an assault on society." In closing, he offered the police department's condolences to the family in Creole, to applause from the congregation. On Friday, Kelly and Bloomberg announced they had posthumously promoted Nemorin and Andrews to detectives first-grade, which provides more benefits for their families and recognizes their sacrifice.
Nemorin's father, Aubriant, also addressed the mourners in Creole, which was translated into English. He acknowledged the dangers Nemorin faced on the streets and at one point addressed his remarks directly to his son: "I tried to get James to change his mind about his career. But you wanted to pursue your dream career, keeping the security of your adopted city. ... Giants never die. To me, you are a giant who is sleeping." He wished Nemorin's young family the courage to endure in his absence, and again, both applause and sobs erupted from the mourners.
Nemorin had recently moved to Baldwin, and leaves behind his wife and three children, Stephan, 7, Rudolphe, 5, and 20-month-old Sarah.
After the service, Nemorin's casket was placed in a hearse, bound for burial on Long Island, and nine New York City police helicopters flew overhead. A woman's final wail went up from the crowd and the bagpipes once more began a somber dirge.
