A group of protesters gather at Grand Central Terminal in New York, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015. A number of protests have been staged around the country following recent grand jury decisions not to indict white police officers in New York and Ferguson, Mo., over the deaths of unarmed black men. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
What is it with the police in New York? The city has been host to multiple #Icantbreathe and #blacklivesmatter protests following the deaths of unarmed Black men such as Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. and Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y.
Then, a few days before Christmas, Ismaaiyl Brinsley shot his ex-girlfriend in Baltimore before driving to New York City. Along the way, this man with a history of domestic violence and criminal activity, Instagrammed a picture of a gun with the message “putting wings on pigs.” After arriving in New York, he shot and killed two police officers.
The problem is now the NYPD, in the form of the police union head Pat Lynch, is saying the mayor of New York, Bill de Blasio, contributed to an atmosphere that encouraged Brinsley to kill cops by sympathizing with the protesters. To make their displeasure known officers have now become the protesters by turning their backs while de Blasio delivered eulogies at the funerals of both officers murdered by Brinsley. To add insult to injury recent news reports suggest that the rank and file NYC police have also initiated a work slow-down that indeed may result in an increased crime rate for New York. The police, who carry guns and are paid by taxpayers to protect the citizens of NYC, have descended to behaving like children.
The protesters are not saying all police officers are bad. Just the ones who shoot unarmed Black people. For the police union to be unable or unwilling to understand the distinction is criminal.