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Two New York City police officers were shot and killed in Brooklyn in what New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio called an “assassination.”
The suspect, 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, had posted threats on social media before the attack. Officials say he shot Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, then fled the scene and died by suicide shortly afterward.
Brinsley had shot and wounded his girlfriend in Baltimore earlier that day before going to New York. His recent post on Instagram indicated he wanted revenge for the death of Eric Garner, who died in a police encounter in July.
Garner’s death along with several other fatal shootings by police sparked a wave of protests and a national conversation on race, police force and justice in America.
That conversation has brought tension between the New York City Police Department and de Blasio, who recently said he warned his son Dante about the potential “dangers” of interacting with police.
Some public officials have said de Blasio’s statements, along with protests against police, incited violence. New York Patrolmen Benevolent Association head Patrick Lynch said that protesters and public officials have “blood on their hands” for the deaths.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani criticized de Blasio for his handling of protests against police, saying he “did not properly police the protests” in a television appearance Sunday.
De Blasio
said
earlier this month that he wants to overcome a “rift” between police and civilians in New York City. “We’re trying to bring police and community together,” he said.
Warm up questions
- What do you know about the death of Eric Garner?
- What is the difference between violence and civil disobedience?
Critical thinking questions
- What is the goal of peaceful protest? How does peaceful protest help communicate a message and work toward a goal?
- The suspect had said that he wanted revenge for recent fatal shootings by police. How do his actions differ from other recent protests that addressed the same issue? How do you think this incident will affect other protesters?
- Why did Mayor de Blasio’s statement about his son lead to tensions between him and police? How should he respond to this incident?
