New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was “disrespectful” for protesting NYPD officers to turn their backs to him during the funerals for slain Officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.
“Those individuals who took certain actions this last week — or last two weeks, really — they were disrespectful to the families involved. That’s the bottom line,” Mr. de Blasio said in his first remarks to the public about the officers’ protests, Mediaite reported.
“They were disrespectful to the families who had lost their loved one,” the mayor added. “And I can’t understand why anyone would do such a thing in a context like that.”
Police Commissioner William Bratton also condemned the officers’ actions at the news conference aimed to discuss the 4.6 percent drop in the city’s crime rate. Mr. de Blasio heaped praise on the department while cautioning the city to ignore the “disrespectful voices” that have dominated headlines.
“Rather than get lost in the daily back-and-forth by the loudest and most disrespectful voices, let’s talk about where we need to go as a city,” the mayor said.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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