Mourners packed the pews and stood in the aisles of a Bronx church today to memorialize the unarmed teen shot by a police officer in his home.
Ramarley Graham, 18, rested in a white suit and a green tie with his hands folded in a white casket at the Crawford Memorial United Methodist Church.
His father, wearing a matching green tie, kissed his forehead and spoke to him. His mother sat quietly with the rest of the family, some also dressed in green, in the front rows of the church.
Fernando Cabrera, a pastor and New York City Councilman, said prayers at the service.
“It seems to always happen to us and I pray to God that we’ll fix this situation,” he said.
The Feb. 2 shooting led to a massive outcry in the Wakefield community and the Rev. Al Sharpton promised the standing room only crowd that he would fight for justice and that the city “could not bury the facts.”
“There is no reason for us to pretend even in our sorrows that we are here under a natural act. This is an unnatural, an inexcusable occasion because this young man was killed in an unjust way in my opinion,” he said.
Politicians paid their respects including Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and City Councilman Larry Seabrook — who condemned Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly for not coming to the funeral.
Diaz described the news about Graham’s death as “one of the toughest calls he’s ever had.” He had a message for police: “Do not criminalize an entire community.”
Graham’s family eulogized the teen, calling him dependable and caring.
Selana Brown, a cousin, remembered how he’d spend time with his siblings talking about what they’d do when they grew up.
“At a young age his aspiration was to become either a fireman or part of a SWAT team because of his strong desire to protect the community,” Brown said.
His sister Leona Virgo was so choked up she had to stop speaking a few times.
“He’s our go to guy. If we need light bulbs to be changed. That’s him. If we need the stereo to be hooked up. That’s him,” she said.
Then in an emotional moment his 6-year-old brother who witnessed the shooting was lifted to the mic to say a few words. “I love him,” he said.
Outside of the church protesters held signs and yelled, “Police: They’re murders. They’re rapists.”
Rosemary Melbourn, 52, held a placard that read, “Stop traumatizing our kids.”
“The police force sometimes don’t think before they act,” she said. “We appreciate them in our community and we want them there, but at the same time we want them to give us the same respect they give to other communities.”
Graham was shot in his East 229th Street apartment by Police Officer Richard Haste as he flushed a bag of marijuana down the toilet.
cgiove@nypost.com
Pallbearers carry the casket containing the body of Ramarley Graham, an unarmed teen shot and killed by police in The Bronx. (Matthwe McDermott)