Viral video footage of New York City Police officers being pelted with snowballs and chunks of ice continues to cause controversy in New York City. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has downplayed the incident, calling it “a snowball fight,” while the city’s Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the behavior was disgraceful and criminal.
NTD’s Daniel Monaghan spoke with a retired police chief to get his insight. -- 📺 Watch NTD News 24/7 on cable, broadcast, and streaming: https://www.ntd.com/watch
The viral incident of New York City police being pelted with snow and ice continues to
cause controversy in New York.
That's right.
Mayor Zoran Mondani, he's downplayed the incident.
He's calling it a snowball fight, while police commissioner Jessica Tish calls it disgraceful
and criminal.
NDD's Daniel Monahan spoke with a retired police chief for his take on the matter.
Police have released images of two people the department is searching for in connection
with the incident, asking for the public's help to identify them.
They announced Tuesday that they would be investigating the Washington Square Park incident
after officers were pelted with snowballs.
Controversy ensued after New York City Mayor Zoran Mondani seemed to downplay the incident,
speaking on Fox News.
Look, I've seen the videos of this snowball fight.
I think that it was a snowball fight.
Police say a group in Washington Square Park repeatedly hurled snowballs and chunks of
ice at officers and their patrol vehicles.
Two officers were treated for cuts and abrasions.
I'm not going to be banning snowball fights or organized snowball fights.
I've shared my thoughts with New Yorkers.
Retired police chief Thomas Weitzel took issue with the incident being labeled a snowball
fight by Mayor Mondani.
Fight would indicate that there was a two-way street there and there was no two-way street
here.
So this wasn't playful.
It wasn't harmless.
It was an assault on police officers who were out doing their job on a very cold, snowy
day in New York.
Weitzel asks those who would dismiss it to put themselves in the officer's shoes.
Just think about, would you want that done to you?
Would you want that done to your children or your wife if they're walking through the
park?
Weitzel says the response by New York leadership reflects what he sees as a broader cultural
shift.
Make no doubt this is being fueled by what the culture that is going on across America,
not just in New York City.
It's lawlessness.
It's no accountability.
It's the police are easy targets.
Weitzel was shot in the line of duty in 1987 with a shotgun.
His life was saved by his bulletproof vest.
Now this doesn't rise to that occurrence, right?
But it's the pathway there.
Because when you start disrespecting law enforcement, not respecting their authority, downplaying
everything and allowing chaos and lawlessness, the next step is you're physically assaulting
police officers.
You're battering them.
You're physically resisting arrest.
The retired police chief says the police commissioner should demand an apology from the mayor or
even resign.
But how can you work for an administration that treats the police with such disdain?
These are your officers.
These are your men and women that are protecting New Yorkers.
Weitzel says this is not a red or blue issue.
This is not a Republican Democrat issue.
These are law enforcement officers.
They're protecting the entire city, right?
They're Republican, Democrat, independent.
This should have, politics should play no role, but I'm not naive.
Politics is playing a role.
Retired police chief Thomas Weitzel is advising officers who feel mistreated to keep calm
and use the proper channels through their union leadership to file grievances.
Daniel Monahan, NTD News.
