Internal Politics Drove NYPD Turning Their Backs On Mayor DeBlasio

"Thousands of New York police officers attended the funeral Saturday for Rafael Ramos, one of the two police officers killed in Brooklyn last week, and they were joined by colleagues from across the country for what the New York Times says was “one of the largest send-offs in the history of the department.” At a time of increased tension between police and the communities they serve, many felt the need to express support for the cops. But it was clear that requests to leave politics out of Ramos’ funeral in Queens had fallen on deaf ears as soon as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio got up to speak.

Hundreds of police officers who were outside the church turned their backs to the monitors that were broadcasting the service as soon as de Blasio took the podium. The move was a stark illustration of how tensions between police officers and de Blasio have not cooled a week after police officers turned their back on the mayor at the hospital after the shooting."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

NYPD Union Chief Has A History Of Bizarre, Frightening Statements

"Patrick Lynch is the 51-year-old president of the Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the largest and most influential union of the New York City Police Department. You might recognize his name: Over the weekend, Lynch blamed Bill de Blasio for the Saturday deaths of two Brooklyn cops who were murdered by a lone gunman from Georgia. “That blood on the hands,” he said at a press conference, “starts on the steps of City Hall, in the office of the mayor.”

To understand why he would say something so wrong and inflammatory, you need to delve into Lynch’s long, checkered history of issuing similarly insane statements. His public declarations over the past 15 years are essentially pro-police agitprop: Cops can do no wrong, while victims of their state-sanctioned violence always had it coming. They are also a deep well of masculine anxiety, hurt feelings, and barely disguised racism."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

US cop suspended for mocking Michael Brown memorial

The spokesman for the Ferguson, Missouri police department is now on administrative leave without pay after making inflammatory comments about a memorial dedicated to a young man killed by a Ferguson police officer.

Michael Brown was killed by officer Darren Wilson in August. Since then, the officer never faced an indictment and left the force.

Autopsy report of Los Angeles police victim sparks anger

The Los Angeles Police Department is facing new anger from the community after the release of an autopsy report in the death of a 25-year-old unarmed black man.

The release of the autopsy comes more than 4 months after two Los Angeles police officers shot and killed Ezell Ford in South Los Angeles. The report shows that Ford was shot three times at close range, including once in the back.

Who Are You, The So Called 'Negro'

Ezell Ford Autopsy Suggests The Cops’ Story Might Not Add Up

"The official autopsy report for Ezell Ford, an unarmed, mentally ill black man shot to death by Los Angeles police in August, was released by the county coroner's office Monday after the Los Angeles Police Department lifted an investigative hold that had blocked the report from public view for over four months.

The coroner's investigation ruled Ford's death a homicide by multiple gunshot wounds.

Ford, 25, was killed by LAPD officers Sharlton Wampler and Antonio Villegas, both on gang enforcement detail, shortly after 8 p.m. on Aug. 11 in the Florence neighborhood of South LA. The report provides the first detailed account from authorities of his injuries.

According to the autopsy report, Ford was shot three times, resulting in two fatal wounds and one nonfatal."* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

New Civil Rights Movement Ignited By Police Brutality

"Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson will not face charges in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, a grand jury has decided. Violence has broken out as protesters threw bottles and rocks at police and set a police car on fire." This story along with police brutality stories from New York City set off a new wave of protests.