Mother of Slain Philly Police Officer Gets Standing Ovation at DNC

Wayne Walker, mother of slain Philadelphia Police Officer, speaks at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night.

The mother of slain Philadelphia police officer Moses Walker Jr., received a standing ovation before speaking at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night.

“For 19 years, my son Moses Walker protected us as a Philadelphia police officer,” Wayne Walker said as she began her speech. “Every morning, for 19 years, Moses put on his uniform. One morning on the way home from the third shift, he was shot and killed. In his living room, I found a pile of wrapped Christmas presents. It was August.

“He always thought ahead. He bought gifts for relatives, single parents, strangers down on their luck. One of those presents did not have a name on it. I still have it.”

Walker was shot during a botched robbery attempt while coming home in 2012. The man who shot and killed Walker was convicted and sentenced to life; his accomplice received 20-to-40 years. “I pray that you rot in hell,” Moses Walker’s mother said at sentencing. (Previous news reports identified her as Wayne Lipscomb.)

“Moses did not live long enough to give all the gifts he had to give,” Wayne Walker said. “While we are here, we must do the good we can. We have to believe that we are stronger together.”

In addition to the mother of Moses Walker Jr., DNC attendees heard from two other families of other police officers killed in the line of duty. The mother of Cleveland’s Derek Walker and the widow of Chicago’s Thor Soderberg spoke.

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