News

Miosotis Familia Was Beloved By Many

by Cameron Norsworthy

Wrapping up an early-morning shift in the Bronx on Wednesday, 48-year-old Miosotis Familia was sitting in a patrol car with her partner when she was shot in the head a little after midnight. Despite being rushed to the hospital, she was declared dead a short while later. So who was Miosotis Familia? The NYPD officer killed in the alleged ambush had served the department for 12 years prior to her sudden murder, which many are calling an assassination.

Familia lived a life of service. In addition to caring for her three children, she watched over her elderly mother, The New York Daily News reported. She was a sister to 10 siblings, all of whom who were raised in the Bronx, with her family holding strong to their roots in the Dominican Republic. Familia worked as a nurse at New York University Hospital for five years and spent two subsequent years working for the American Red Cross. Familia joined the NYPD in 2005, where she earned the respect and admiration of countless colleagues.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio lauded Familia's service, sharing:

She was on duty, serving this city, protecting people, doing what she believed in and doing the job she loved. And after this shocking and sudden attack, her fellow officers came to her aid immediately.

One of Familia's nephews described her as having an "outspoken personality and a no-nonsense edge" — characteristics that were shaped by her upbringing as the youngest of nine siblings. She carried these same traits into her line of work. “She was a warrior, tell you the truth,” nephew John Cuello shared with The New York Times. "She was a fighter, she was tough — and that was the job for her.”

The gunman who allegedly attacked Familia had reportedly targeted police officers in the past. According to police sources, The man allegedly beat up an officer in 2001 and had been arrested multiple times for robbery and drug-related offenses. His alleged anti-police sentiments were also voiced in a long Facebook Live rant last September.

On Wednesday, the suspected shooter approached the passenger side of the vehicle and fired into it, according to police sources. He reportedly ran, but officers caught up with him about a block later. At that time, police say he allegedly pulled his gun on the officers, who then fatally shot him. A bystander was reportedly hit by a stray bullet but was in stable condition at the time of publication.

Familia — a beloved mother, sister, and officer — will be forever remembered for her dedication to bettering her local community. Familia's lifetime of service will no doubt continue to inspire her former colleagues and her family members, all of whom are working to process this obscene act of violence against a selfless individual.