New law grants benefits to daughter of slain NYPD detective

The daughter of a slain NYPD detective born nearly three years after his death was finally recognized as his biological child — granting her benefits under New York state law, according to the governor’s office.

Angelina Liu was conceived via in vitro fertilization after her 32-year-old father, Wenjian Liu, and his partner, Det. Rafael Ramos, 40, were shot dead while sitting in a patrol car in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn on Dec. 20, 2014. Their killer, who'd posted online his intention to kill police, shot himself dead in a nearby subway station.

Pei Xia Chen, Liu’s widow, used sperm that was retrieved from Liu hours after he was shot. But since Angelina Liu's birth in 2017, she has not been considered his lawful child. Although the couple had only been married three months when he was killed, they had planned on having children.

The family now has reason to rejoice after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation Saturday recognizing Angelina Liu as Det. Liu’s genetic child, allowing her to be named his heir and paving the way for important benefits and privileges.

"The case of Angelina and Wenjian Liu is an extraordinary one for which special considerations are necessary," Hochul said in a statement Saturday. "I am proud to ensure that Angelina Liu receives the benefits she is entitled to, and I hope with the signing of this legislation that Angelina and her family are able to remember Detective Liu in peace."