After weeks of rioting and with legislators of every stripe promising police reform or abolition, New York’s police union boss, Mike O’Meara, took a stand to excoriate lawmakers and the media for treating cops like “thugs.”
The killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin two weeks ago sent shockwaves of rage across the US, with much of the anger focused on the boys in blue.
Rioters and looters burned out police precincts, sprayed “kill cops” graffiti tags, and chucked bricks at riot cops.
Above the street-level rage, lawmakers on Capitol Hill unveiled a sweeping police reform bill, while Minneapolis’ city council led the way in voting to “disband” Chauvin’s department.
Mike O’Meara struck back hard at a press conference in New York City on Tuesday. The boss of New York state’s Police Benevolent Association, O’Meara seethed at anti-police sentiment in politics and the media.
“Everybody’s trying to shame us,” he thundered. “Legislators. The press. Everybody’s trying to shame us into being embarrassed of our profession. You know what? This isn’t stained by someone in Minneapolis,” he said, waving his badge in the air. “It’s still got a shine on it, and so do theirs.”
“Stop treating us like animals and thugs, and start treating us with some respect!” he shouted. “We’ve been left out of the conversation. We’ve been vilified. It’s disgusting,” he added, spitting out the word.
Continue reading on RT.com
