The New York Dominican Officers Organization (NYDO) and NYPD Blue Chips hosted the first annual Det. Jason Rivera & Wilbert Mora Basketball Classic in Brooklyn Bridge Park on July 20, 2022.
Rivera and Mora were ambushed and killed in the line of duty by gunman Lashawn McNeil while responding to a domestic violence call in Harlem on Jan. 21, 2022. 22-year-old Officer Rivera died the same night shortly after the shooting, and 27-year-old Officer Mora passed away on Jan. 25 after he had been put on life support to recover his organs for transplant.
The scorching temperatures didn’t damper the spirit, nor did it impact the athletic skills of the 150 young people duking it out in the ballpark on the Brooklyn waterfront in honor of the fallen NYPD officers.
NYPD officer Andre Jean-Pierre, who also serves on the NYDO’s executive board, explained that both fallen officers were “big into basketball” and worked with young people and that the NYDO wanted to do something for the officers’ families and bring the community together.
“They [Rivera and Mora] are lost but never forgotten,” Jean-Pierre said. “We want to show that the NYPD is here for the kids, that we really care, and given the chance, we’re gonna make a tremendous difference.”
Referring to the various youth programs like Blue Chips which co-hosted the event with the NYOD, Jean-Pierre said, “Hopefully, you know, all these programs keep expanding, and hopefully we can serve more kids.”
NYPD Officer Darnell Gatling was immediately on board when Jean-Pierre approached him and asked if players from the Blue Chips program wanted to play in the inaugural championship event honoring their colleagues.
Blue Chips is a citywide year-round youth mentoring and sports program created by retiring NYPD Lieutenant Michael Almonte and Gatling. The program, which is in its second year, is managed by the NYPD Patrol Services Bureau and focuses on bridging the gap between the police and young people.
Gatling admitted it was “a lot of work, but well worth it.”
“I come out to these events. You see the kids enjoy themselves, the excitement not just the kids but also the officers,” Gatling said. “When you hear the stories of how much these bonds that are being created or helping the kids in the community, the kids reaching out to their coaches when they’re in trouble in school, or you know, they have issues at home with their parents and having that safe haven, it’s amazing.”
Gatling emphasized the importance of all city agencies, including the NYPD and the administration working together to improve the lives of young people.
“When we do that, the kids get all the resources they need,” Gatling said. “Our village comes together. That village is unbreakable.”
Gatling and Jean-Pierre were grateful to the NYC Police Foundation, which had made a generous donation of $15,000. The money helped fund the shirts for the players, the DJ, trophies, food, and beverages.
Eight teams represented New York City’s eight patrol boroughs competing for the championship trophy bearing Rivera’s and Mora’s names. Two players were nominated by each precinct within the respective boroughs, creating “all-star” teams, as Jean-Pierre described the selection process.
Based on “March Madness,” only the winning teams advanced to the next rounds. The championship was duked out between the teams from Queens Borough South and Brooklyn Borough South, with Queens emerging victoriously.
16-year-old Kyshiem Nelson from Queens has been part of the NYPD Blue Chips since day one. He described it as a fun experience that allowed him to meet players from other parts of the city.
“This gets us off the streets,” Nelson said. “Instead of hanging on the streets, hanging around the corner, they could be playing basketball.”
