Mayor Faces Backlash Over Delayed Response to Police Shootings
Mayor Zoran Mamdani is encountering criticism for his slow and seemingly indifferent response to recent police shootings, which has created tension with NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
Initially, Mamdani had embraced a “defund the police” viewpoint during his campaign. However, following two violent incidents involving police, he took 16 hours to make a statement, despite having been informed by Tisch shortly after each shooting, which occurred about six hours apart on Thursday.
A statement made on a cloudy Friday morning indicated ongoing frustration among law enforcement officials regarding an “internal investigation” into the shootings, with some insiders suggesting this implies potential wrongdoing on the part of the NYPD officers involved.
“I know many of you want answers,” he conveyed in the post. “The NYPD is conducting an internal investigation. I will collaborate with Director Tisch to ensure the investigation is thorough and prompt.”
Sources noted that Tisch appeared visibly frustrated when she left City Hall after a meeting with city officials, while Mamdani defended his lengthy response to reporters.
“I take my words very seriously, and I think it’s essential to be deliberate about what you communicate in situations like this,” Mamdani said during a separate event at Brooklyn College, where he was distributing free tickets to a local festival.
Though he was present at two significant fires earlier in the week, he was not at either of the troubling incidents that occurred on Thursday. The first event happened shortly before 5:30 p.m., when a man barricaded himself with a knife in a hospital room, taking an elderly patient and a security guard hostage.
Police reported that officers tried using a Taser multiple times on the suspect, Michael Lynch, a 62-year-old former police officer but to no avail. They resorted to gunfire after the Taser was ineffective. Lynch was later declared dead.
The second shooting occurred around 11 p.m. after officers responded to what they believed was a street assault in Manhattan. The suspect, Dmitry Zasz, 37, exited his vehicle brandishing a weapon. Police opened fire, hitting Zasz, who subsequently died at a nearby hospital.
Later, it was revealed that Zasz’s weapon was a fake Sig Sauer pistol. His parents reportedly contacted 911 prior to the incident, claiming he had previously threatened his father with a gun, leading them to secure an order of protection against him that same day.
Details surrounding both shootings circulated for hours before Mamdani finally responded, announcing that these incidents were heartbreaking and emphasizing the ongoing need for genuine public safety, something he believes he and Tisch work on daily.
Insiders expressed frustration over Mamdani’s delayed response, noting that there was consistent communication between NYPD leadership and City Hall throughout the day, including updates and images related to the incidents.
Some questioned the mayor’s remarks on “real public safety,” suggesting it primarily involves protecting vulnerable individuals from threats like those posed by someone wielding a knife.
Furthermore, there was confusion regarding Mamdani’s emphasis on internal investigations since such practices are standard in police-involved shooting cases.
An NYPD spokesperson clarified that they always inform the public that an internal unit will investigate when addressing officer-involved shootings. Tisch’s remarks, which emphasized the bravery of the officers during these incidents, seemed to indirectly critique Mamdani’s sluggish response.
Just a week into Mamdani’s tenure, the situation has drawn comparisons to early missteps made by former Mayor Bill de Blasio regarding police relations.
Officials from the Office of Special Investigations stated they would look into the circumstances surrounding the road rage shooting, confirming that any incident resulting in a fatality would be thoroughly investigated.
