Presidents of two New York police unions are firing back in defense of police officers amid ongoing protests highlighting police brutality following the death of George Floyd.
During a press conference in New York City on Tuesday, Pat Lynch, president of New York City Police’s Benevolent Association (PBA), and Mike O’Meara, president of New York State Association of PBA, criticized lawmakers’ efforts for police reform.
Lynch accused lawmakers of rushing to pass “packages of bills in the dark of night without even reading them.”
O’Meara also weighed in to defend New York law enforcement. While O’Meara admits the union does not condone the actions of former Minneapolis Police Department Derek Chauvin, he insists police officers have been “vilified” as a result of his actions.
“We don’t condone Minneapolis. We roundly reject what he did as disgusting. It’s disgusting!” O’Meara said. “It’s not what we do. It’s not what police officers do.”
He also compared his law enforcement agency to Minneapolis, noting the difference between the two, saying “He killed someone. We didn’t. We are restrained.”
He added, “Stop treating us like animals and thugs, and start treating us with some respect! That’s what we’re here today to say. We’ve been left out of the conversation. We’ve been vilified. It’s disgusting.” – READ MORE
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