New York City Police Commissioner William Bratton said it was “inappropriate” for police officers to turn their backs to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at the Saturday funeral of NYPD officer Rafael Ramos as a form of protest.
NYPD officers have criticized de Blasio for what they consider a lack of support following the Dec. 20 killing of Ramos, 40, and his 32-year-old partner, Wenjian Liu. But Bratton said the gesture Saturday, in which hundreds of officers turned their backs as de Blasio eulogized Ramos, was ill-conceived.
“I certainly don’t support that action yesterday. I think it was very inappropriate at that event. That funeral was held to honor officer Ramos, and to bring politics or to bring issues into that event I think was very inappropriate,” Bratton said on CBS’ “Face The Nation.”
Tensions are running high in New York City and for law enforcement across the country following the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., and Eric Garner in Staten Island, N.Y. Both men were black, unarmed and killed by police. Grand juries decided against indicting either cop, spurring nationwide demonstrations regarding racial inequality.
Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the man who killed Ramos and Liu, cited the deaths of Brown and Garner in a Facebook post before he killed the officers. Brinsley then killed himself.
Bratton said that the tragedy has brought simmering disagreement of de Blasio by law enforcement officials to the surface, and noted that the NYPD is investigating more than 50 threats against officers that have been made since the killings of Ramos and Liu.
“At the same time, it is reflective, unfortunately, of the feelings of some of our officers at this juncture about not just the mayor but I think about some of the many issues that are afflicting the city at this time,” Bratton said.
