Wenjian Liu Wife: Ambushed NYPD’s Widow Gives Birth To Their Daughter Nearly 3 Years After His Death


An ambush killer claimed the life of her NYPD husband, but Wenjian Liu’s wife gave birth to their daughter — nearly three years later after his death.

In a bittersweet moment, Pei Xia Chen delivered her baby on Tuesday at the New York–Presbyterian Hospital. Chen gave birth to a healthy girl, who weighed six pounds, 13 ounces. Some are calling the childbirth “a miracle,” considering the circumstances by which the infant arrived into the world.

Chen went into labor 949 days after her husband and his partner were slain, according to the Washington Post. On December 20, 2014, NYPD patrolmen Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos sat in their car at the intersection of Tompkins and Myrtle Avenues in Brooklyn.

Without warning, Ismaaiyl Brinsley approached the police cruiser on foot and shot both officers at point-blank range. Using the same weapon, the assailant took his own life after other cops cornered the murderer. Apparently, Liu and Ramos never managed to fire a shot before they were brutally gunned down.

NYPD officials said the assailant, who had a long history of violent offenses, shot his girlfriend in Baltimore and traveled to New York, where he killed Wenjian Liu and his partner. Investigators said the man planned the shooting, based on evidence he posted on social media, “suggesting that he planned to kill police officers and was angered about the Eric Garner and Michael Brown cases.”

Pei Xia Chen, who was relatively unknown before the double murders of the NYPD officers, was suddenly thrust into the spotlight. In the presence of thousands who converged on the funeral, Liu’s widow shared heartfelt words and memories of her late husband, who she called her “best friend” and “everything to his parents.

“Even though he left us early, I believe he is still with us,” she said, struggling to hold back tears while clutching a picture of her husband, 32, at the time of his death.

Reportedly, Wenjian Liu was the first Asian-American police officer to die in the line of duty.

[Image by Eric Thayer/Getty Images]

Despite the tragic death of her husband, Chen still had the presence of mind to think about Liu’s posterity. With the hopes of having his child at some time in the future, Wenjian Liu’s wife asked doctors to preserve the fallen officer’s sperm.

The New York Daily News wrote that a short window of time exists — only 24 hours — after a person’s death to salvage viable sperm. If done properly, the seminal fluid can last indefinitely and be used to help a woman give birth, often with a near 80 percent success rate.

The process Chen used is in vitro fertilization (IVF). According to WebMD, the process involves manually or artificially combining — in a laboratory setting — an egg with sperm outside of a woman’s womb. Once the embryo develops, it is implanted in a woman’s uterus.

The process is often confused with artificial insemination. The latter involves a trained technician using a syringe to inject sperm into a viable egg. Both procedures are often used for couples that experience fertility issues.

Wenjian Liu’s wife kept the news about her attempts to have a baby from her in-laws until she was pregnant, according to a family friend. However, everyone celebrated the news with open arms.

“She didn’t want to break her family’s hearts if it wasn’t successful,” Susan Zhuang told reporters.”

Liu’s mother, Xiu Yan Li, expressed joy after Chen’s birth of Angelina.

“The past three years have been the most difficult. This is the best news we’ve gotten.

“I see my son in her.”

Share your thoughts below about Wenjian Liu’s wife’s pregnancy and birth.

[Featured Images by Eric Thayer/Getty Images, Sara Nicole Garavuso/Shutter Stock]

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