D.C.'s Mayor Adrian Fenty was scheduled to honor fallen police officers and make a speech at the ceremony, but last-minute, the Fraternal Order of Police voted to pull the invitation
The FOP rescinded the invitation because Fenty refused to apologize for the way he responded to the police-involved shooting of 14-year-old DeOnte Rawlings.
As participants waited for the ceremony to begin, the big question: Would the mayor show? They'd removed his name and speech from the program, but Fenty showed up, smiling and shaking hands, defying the Fraternal Order of Police.
The ceremony honored law enforcement officers from D.C., Maryland and Virginia who died in the line of duty and their families.
Afterward, they mayor resumed getting attendees and after a brief statement of support for law enforcement, he left without taking questions. "Thank you all very much and again, our Metropolitan Police Department (web|news) is the best in the count. God bless you."
"There was a time for him to honor these officers and that was when they were being shot at by a suspect," said FOP member Kristopher Bauman.
FOP members reiterated their outrage that the mayor paid for the funeral of Rawlings, who authorities now say shot at police, who then killed him.
Out in the streets, the mayor had support. "There should be no craziness going on and since he's the mayor, I think he should have been invited and stay invited."
The FOP also had support. "You pay for the funeral. You say the police was wrong and come to find out they got exonerated. When Denise Al-Deen was asked if he should have been dis-invited, she said yes.
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