VIDEO: NYPD Recruit Kamir Abdul Loubarria Remembered for Service
SOUTH OZONE PARK — Hundreds of NYPD officers and recruits gathered outside Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in South Ozone Park to honor police recruit Kamir Abdul Loubarria, who died at 30 following a medical emergency at the NYPD Police Academy.
Loubarria died on Sept. 7, just one month before he was expected to graduate from the academy.
A sea of NYPD officers and recruits saluted as Loubarria’s casket was brought into the Queens church for his funeral Mass, celebrated by Diocese of Brooklyn Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski.
Family members, fellow recruits, and members of the NYPD gathered to remember Loubarria and his commitment to serving others.
Among those who spoke about his life were New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
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Loubarria grew up in Panama and moved to New York in 2014. His path to becoming a police officer was shaped by an experience involving his family in Queens.
Loubarria had developed a negative view of police officers while growing up in Panama, but after an incident involving a neighbor at his family’s Queens home, he saw NYPD officers step in to help. That experience changed his perspective and inspired him to pursue a career with the department.
Before joining the police academy, Loubarria worked as a rideshare driver and later with the United States Postal Service.
He entered the NYPD Police Academy in April and was training alongside his classmates as he prepared for graduation. Those who knew him said he was focused not only on completing the academy but also on helping others.
“It’s such a hard thing to accept,” said Msgr. David Cassato, assistant chief chaplain for the NYPD. “His wife spoke so eloquently about his love for wanting, his desire, wanting to be a police officer. So today, our hearts are sad.”
Patrick Hendry, president of the New York City Police Benevolent Association, remembered Loubarria as someone who wanted to make a difference in New York.
“He wanted to make a difference in this city. He wanted to go out and help people,” Hendry said. “The main thing, he wasn’t just focused on himself. He was focused on helping others.”
Loubarria leaves behind his wife, a 6-year-old daughter, and a 10-month-old son.
His wife said she will make sure their children understand the legacy their father leaves behind and his desire to serve New Yorkers.
For the NYPD officers, recruits, family members, and friends who gathered to remember him, Loubarria’s commitment to service was a central part of his legacy.