The MIT honor guard stands over the casket of late campus police officer Sean Collier during a memorial service today. (EPA)
Vice President Joe Biden delivered a stirring tribute to slain MIT police officer Sean Collier today and mocked his killers as “cowardly, knock-off jihadis.”
Biden said terrorists know they can never defeat the United States but still hope to instill fear into America’s collective heart.
“People say to me, ‘For they surely know they can never defeat us, they can never overthrow us, they can never occupy us, so why?’ ” Biden rhetorically asked, during Collier’s memorial at MIT.
“Why, whether it’s al Qaeda central out of the FATAs or two twisted, perverted, cowardly, knock-off jihadis here in Boston. Why do they do what they do?”
He concluded: “They do it to instill fear, to have us in the name of our safety and security, jettison what we value the most, our open society and system of justice that guarantees freedom.”
Collier was murdered late Thursday night while he was on the job in Cambridge.
Either Tamerlan Tsarnaev or little brother Dzhokar Tsarnaev ambushed Collier in the hours after federal agents publicized their photos and called them prime suspects in the deadly Boston Marathon bombings.
Biden told Collier’s loved ones that their hearts might ache today, but they’ll someday smile about the officer’s 26 years on earth.
“My heart goes out to you. I hope you find some solace is this moment of extreme grief as you listen to what is being said about your son,” he said.
“The moment will come when the memory of Sean is triggered and you know it’s going to be OK,” he said. “When the first instinct is to get a smile on your lips before a tear to your eye.”
About 15,000 mourners filled up Briggs Field on the MIT campus to honor Collier.
Iconic New England singer James Taylor wrapped up the emotional tribute with a tear-jerking sing-along of his classic “Shower the People.”
The slain officer’s stepbrother, Rob Rogers, said Collier would have loved today’s ceremony because he was born to be a cop.
“People ask me if Sean were here, what would he think? Are you kidding me? He would love this,’’ Rogers said. “You’ve got sirens. Flashing lights. Formations. People saluting. Bagpipes. Taps. The American flag. He would have loved it.’’
Rogers added: “He was born to be a police officer and he lived out his dreams.”