The New York City police officer who was recorded in a viral video unholstering his handgun and pointing it at protesters reportedly did so because his supervisor was “nearly killed.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio had called for the police officer to lose his badge immediately after the video surfaced.
“That, to me, seeing that video was absolutely unacceptable. Now, I don’t know all the circumstances, and we must know all the facts,” he said during a press conference Monday.
A source shared this video, which he says he took at around 10 pm near near 12th and Broadway. It appears to show an NYPD officer pointing a gun at protesters outside the Strand pic.twitter.com/pCTNIYL7op
— Jake Offenhartz (@jangelooff) June 1, 2020
He added: “I want you to note on that video, a superior officer immediately came over and moved that officer away from that crowd. That officer should have his gun and badge taken away today.”
The Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York tweeted later Monday that the officer was provoked to pull his gun and shared a longer video of the scene unfolding.
“Now we have the full story: this police officer unholstered his weapon only after his supervisor was nearly killed with a brick. #FactsMatter,” the NYC PBA tweeted.
Now we have the full story: this police officer unholstered his weapon only after his supervisor was nearly killed with a brick. #FactsMatter pic.twitter.com/6PzqgI991I
— NYC PBA (@NYCPBA) June 1, 2020
New York City saw its fifth day of protests, some of which turned violent, Monday night despite a curfew set from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m.
