New York – President Donald Trump added his voice Thursday to the chorus of people upset about videos showing New York police officers getting drenched with buckets of water during a heat wave.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
“What took place in NYC with water being tossed on NYPD officers was a total disgrace,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “What took place was completely unacceptable, and will not be tolerated.”
He called on New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to “act immediately,” though he didn’t say what action he believed the mayor should take.
Trump made his comments a day after police made a round of arrests in connection with the dousings, which involved police getting soaked after responding to unruly neighborhood water fights during a recent spate of hot weather.
One video showed two officers ignoring people throwing buckets of water on them on a Brooklyn sidewalk, casually walking away as their uniforms got soaked.
Another video showed officers getting drenched by buckets of thrown water while making an arrest in Harlem. One officer is hit in the head with a tossed bucket.
The police involved appeared to shrug the dousings off, but after videos began circulating on social media, three people were arrested on charges including disorderly conduct.
De Blasio, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination, publicly condemned the dousings this week, saying people who interfere with police that way could face charges.
Since then, two other videos have begun circulating showing groups of children and teenagers wetting police officers with squirt guns or buckets of water.
Police union officials have been incensed, saying the dousings show a lack of respect for officers that is threatening public safety. The Police Department issued a memo to officers, urging them not to tolerate such behavior.
The Legal Aid Society, a group that provides legal representation for people accused of crimes, issued a statement Thursday saying arrests in situations like this would be “disproportionate” and hypocritical.
“Young people are getting arrested for splashing water on 100 degree days while officers who have killed and seriously injured people continue working, collect pensions, and barely get a slap on the wrist,” said Anne Oredeko, a supervising attorney in the society’s Racial Justice Unit.
The splashings took place several days after the U.S. Justice Department declined to bring criminal charges against a white New York City police officer accused of killing an unarmed black man with a choke hold while arresting him in 2014.
“Historically, black and Latinx communities have suffered the brunt of police abuse, harassment, and violence,” Oredeko said. “The Department should focus on addressing those root issues before attempting to criminalize playing with water.”
“The Legal Aid Society, a group that provides legal representation for people accused of crimes, issued a statement Thursday saying arrests in situations like this would be “disproportionate” and hypocritical.
“Young people are getting arrested for splashing water on 100 degree days while officers who have killed and seriously injured people continue working, collect pensions, and barely get a slap on the wrist,” said Anne Oredeko, a supervising attorney in the society’s Racial Justice Unit.”
If they did this to one of their own crew, boys, whatever they call themselves, at least one weapon would be pulled and people would be shot !!!
What a piece of Dreck/Turd/Charrah,, whatever you want to call it. Let the inmates run the asylum?? That’s exactly what’s happening ! What is our world coming to ? If and when caught, these animals should waterboarded since they find so funny along with this Legal Aid lawyer. What garbage !! Where is the Mayor ? Where is the Police Commissioner ? Where are the black community “Leaders” ? Where is the outrage ?
The police officers should protest en’ masse ,or maybe have a work “slowdown”
They are ALL worth their weight in GARBAGE !!!
Deblasio should be impeached.
Jews of the US beware. This type of chaos and lawlessness preceded and probably significantly contributed to the rise of Hitler y’s. Antisemitism and chaos on the increase are familiar danger signals.
Amazing the topics for which he funds time to comment.
Compare to how often he has tweeted that foreign governments meddling in US elections is unacceptable.