NYPD officer dies days after Harlem shooting that killed partner

A New York City police officer died on Tuesday from his injuries sustained four days prior in a Harlem shooting that killed his partner.

Officer Wilbert Mora, 27, died at a Manhattan hospital after he was taken off life support, The New York Post reports. He donated his organs to help others, according to NYPD.

He was gunned down with his partner, Officer Jason Rivera, 22, as they responded to a domestic violence situation Friday. The officers were ambushed. A third officer on the scene returned fire and ultimately killed the suspect, LaShawn McNeil, 47, who has a lengthy criminal history.

"It’s with great sadness I announce the passing of Police Officer Wilbert Mora," NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell wrote on Twitter. "Wilbert is 3 times a hero. For choosing a life of service. For sacrificing his life to protect others. For giving life even in death through organ donation. Our heads are bowed & our hearts are heavy."  

Police reported finding a loaded AR-15 underneath the suspect's mattress one day later. 

NYPD First Deputy Commissioner Edward Caban called Officer Rivera's death a "senseless murder of a young man in blue with the whole world in front of him."

Law enforcement deaths hit a record high in 2021, and felonious killings of police rose by more than 50% since 2020.