'They responded swiftly.' How Mayor Mamdani responded to 2 police-involved shootings in the same night
The mayor faced backlash after not issuing a public statement immediately. He was pressed about his delayed response at an unrelated press conference on Friday morning.
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Mayor Zohran Mamdani was faced with not one, but two deadly police-involved shootings the same night, the first emergency of this nature under his administration.
The mayor faced backlash after not issuing a public statement immediately. He was pressed about his delayed response at an unrelated press conference on Friday morning.
"I take very seriously the language that I use. I think in a situation like this you have to be very intentional," the mayor said.
The first incident happened around 5:30 p.m. Thursday night at New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where NYPD officers shot and killed a man. Police say he had a sharp weapon in his hand and barricaded himself inside a room with a patient and hospital employee who he threatened to kill.
Hours later in Manhattan's West Village, a man was killed by officers after the NYPD says he pointed what turned out to be a fake gun at them following a car crash.
At 9:44 a.m. Friday morning, the mayor responded with a statement on social media.
"Last night’s shootings at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital and in the West Village are devastating to all New Yorkers. I know many are eager for answers. The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation — I will work with Commissioner Tisch to ensure this is as thorough and swift as possible. These tragedies are painful, whether they take place steps from our home or miles away. They are a reminder of the immense work that must be done to deliver genuine public safety — work Commissioner Tisch and I are undertaking together every day," the mayor wrote in a post on X.
He later addressed the incidents when asked at a press conference in Flatbush.
“Last night, officers were placed In incredibly difficult and dangerous circumstances. The actions they took, they responded swiftly," the mayor said.
Mamdani has been vocal about his vision for the department of community safety, a team of dedicated social service professionals who would in theory, respond to mental health calls. Mamdani says the details are still being ironed out but when asked whether that team would have been dispatched to the emergency at Brooklyn Methodist Hospital on Thursday night the mayor responded by saying that is a hypothetical he will not engage in.
“Those are hypotheticals that we will not engage in at this time. What I will tell you is that I'm appreciative of the work that the NYPD continues to do in responding to public safety needs," said Mamdani.
Police commissioner Jessica Tisch also responded, saying the NYPD will be conducting an exhaustive investigation and review on both incidents.
