No, not again. Hasn’t New York City suffered enough the past few weeks?
As it continues to mourn the tragic murders of police officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos, armed gunmen shot two officers in the Bronx late Monday night.
The injured officers — Andrew Dossi, 30, and Aliro Pellerano, 38 — were critically wounded after exchanging gunfire with two suspects who reportedly committed an armed robbery minutes earlier. Both officers are listed in critical but stable condition at St. Barnabas Hospital. Both are expected to recover from their injures. The suspects, Jason Polanco and Joshua Kemp, were arrested Tuesday after a large-scale manhunt.
Dossi was shot in the arm and back, while the Pellerano was wounded in the chest and arm at about 10:30 p.m. Monday, NYPD officials said at a news conference Tuesday. The officers were among a group of five plain-clothes cops that responded to reports of a robbery near East 184th Street and Tiebout Avenue in the Fordham section of the borough.
Not only should these suspects be prosecuted harshly for firing on and wounding two officers, but they should be locked up for their brazen stupidity as well. Apparently not satiated by the robbery, the suspects stopped to order Chinese takeout before they planned to return back under whatever rock they crawled out from.
And now it’s likely only a matter of time before the incendiary, selfish and self-aggrandizing Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association president, the windbag Pat Lynch will chime in — no doubt to somehow blame the mayor for this awful incident. Thank goodness Lynch is not a position of real leadership, and that most people, including cops, realize he is full of hot air — and something else much more unpleasant.
Aside from making politicized statements that detracted from the focus — the mourning of a tragedy — his comments only help make him the center of attention.
Read more: Do the Right Thing In Wake of Officers’ Deaths: Take a Breath
Yes, the police need a strong advocate. But there are only tens of thousands of police in this city, with a total population exceeding 8 million and unfortunately, many have bought into Lynch’s silent majority-type lies about race and class and subsequently abandoned the city’s five boroughs.
In the wake of this awful shooting, and strong response by the city leadership, why is Lynch not holding news conferences, inviting reporters and screaming to the skyscraper tops how great a job the mayor and commissioner have done in response to this wanton, random violence? Thus far he’s been quiet, but will he surface and try to pull the bag over our eyes yet again?
New York has been incredibly fortunate and benefitted greatly from the steady leadership of Police Commissioner Bill Bratton and Mayor Bill de Blasio. Instead of making selfish, politicized statements as Lynch has recently, Bratton and de Blasio have since Liu’s and Ramos’ deaths strapped on their big-boy pants and showed true leadership. If only the same could be said of other officers’ conduct, specifically the ones that turned their backs on the mayor and, in the process, made themselves the headline instead of their fallen comrades in navy blue.
Many of the rank-and-file often take a key on how to act from their dear leader, Lynch. If past comments are any indication, I’m sure Lynch will search high and low (mostly low) for a way to make himself center stage.
After his incendiary and ludicrous comments that de Blasio has blood on his hands — a shocking, ridiculous attempt to connect de Blasio to the tragic deaths of Liu and Ramos who were assassinated in Brooklyn as they sat in their cruiser — hopefully Lynch will not try to pin this most recent act of violence on de Blasio’s size 46 long sport jacket.
The mayor is doing a terrific job holding this city — seemingly about to rip apart at the seams — together through an incredibly challenging and critical time. His leadership and that of Bratton is an example to follow, unlike the model used by Lynch and other officers who have made the choice to only support this city and mayor when they agree with him.
Agreeing with the mayor when it suits a person’s political or social ideology should not be part of being a cop. What would the response be if workers from any city agency other than the police refused to support the mayor when they disagree with him? Why are the police unassailable? What would be the reaction, for example, if Department of Sanitation workers decided recycling was not good for the environment or if they didn’t like the organics collection program? Would anyone in this city, country or anyone in government or a leadership position countenance that?
Or should officers be told that they have agreed to a job, and all that comes with that. Because it is their job. They willingly took an oath to protect this city and its people from harm. Can’t they be expected to serve and protect no matter what, as is their sworn duty?
If only Lynch would realize this as well. Maybe then this city might not be so divided.
Noah Zuss is a reporter for TheBlot Magazine.
