‘She was mine, but also yours’: Harlem cops and family of fallen officer hold memorial vigil

Grief-stricken members of Harlem’s 30th Precinct publicly paid homage Tuesday afternoon to one of their own, a promising young cop who tragically died during the Memorial Day weekend in a car crash.

Family, friends, fellow officers from the 30th Precinct, and even the top cop himself Edward Caban, lined up outside the precinct’s headquarters at 451 West 151 St. to honor the life of 25-year-old Juliana Torsiello. On the job for just three years, Torsiello was remembered by those she worked alongside as lighting up the time spent together and greeting them each day with a warm smile.

'She was mine, but also yours': Harlem cops and family of fallen officer hold memorial vigil 9 — A wall of weeping blue assembled outside of the 30th Precinct on Tuesday afternoon to pay homage to a Harlem cop who perished over the weekend. Photo by Dean Moses

'She was mine, but also yours': Harlem cops and family of fallen officer hold memorial vigil 10 — Family, friends, fellow officers from the 30th Precinct, and even the top cop himself Edward Caban lined up outside of 451 West 151 Street to honor the life of 25-year-old Juliana Torsiello.Photo by Dean Moses

“We are gathered here today in grief and remembrance,” Captain Cary Rose of the 30th Precinct began. “Every day that she put this uniform on, she knew the risks, but never wavered in her duty. It’s a sacrifice that you are willing to make. We all owe a debt of gratitude that words can scarcely convey. In the quiet moments of reflection, let us remember that Juliana was more than just a police officer. She was a daughter, a niece, a sibling and a friend. She brought joy and laughter to those around her.”

'She was mine, but also yours': Harlem cops and family of fallen officer hold memorial vigil 11 — With some sobbing and others dabbing at their eyes with tissue, the cops lifted up candles to the sky in honor of Torsiello.Photo by Dean Moses

According to law enforcement sources, Officer Torsiello, was driving along County Road 51 in Campbell Hall at around 6 p.m. on May 24 when she somehow lost control of her BMW. The vehicle traveled into a hillside and flipped over, killing her.

Torsiello’s heartbroken mother told the solemn gathering through a deluge of tears that her daughter was able to live out her dream by becoming a cop, even if she didn’t get to live that dream for very long.

“She was mine, but she was also yours,” Michelle Torsiello told the cops.

'She was mine, but also yours': Harlem cops and family of fallen officer hold memorial vigil 12 — “She was mine, but she was also yours,” Michelle Torsiello, Juliana Torsiello’s mother, told the cops.Photo by Dean Moses

'She was mine, but also yours': Harlem cops and family of fallen officer hold memorial vigil 13 — With some sobbing and others dabbing at their eyes with tissue, the cops lifted up candles to the sky in honor of Torsiello.Photo by Dean Moses

'She was mine, but also yours': Harlem cops and family of fallen officer hold memorial vigil 14 — With some sobbing and others dabbing at their eyes with tissue, the cops lifted up candles to the sky in honor of Torsiello.Photo by Dean Moses

With some sobbing and others dabbing at their eyes with tissue, the cops lifted up candles to the sky in honor of Torsiello.

“She gave everybody energy and strength when she came in. You could come in on the worst day and see her smile and it wasn’t your worst day anymore. I worked with her for a few years, we became very close,” Sergeant Matthew Erbetta said. “Everybody who worked with her for more than five minutes became close to her.”

Erbetta also started a GoFundMe to raise money for her family. It has now garnered over $43,000.