New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani made a notable error by misspelling the name of a veteran NYPD officer who was shot recently. This slip-up occurred even after he visited the officer, a father of three, in the hospital.
In a social media announcement, Mamdani mistakenly spelled Detective Robert Carroll’s last name as “Carol” three different times.
“Detective Robert Carroll was shot in the line of duty in Crown Heights early this morning. I visited Detective Carroll in the hospital today and am grateful that his bulletproof vest protected him from further serious injury. I will be remembering him and his loved ones as he recovers,” he wrote, sharing the information on Sunday afternoon.
He went on to express, “I would like to thank Detective Carroll and all of the NYPD employees who worked tirelessly to keep New Yorkers safe throughout a busy weekend.”
Interestingly, Mamdani has been an advocate for cutting police funding, yet he surprised lawmakers and the police department with a last-minute decision to reduce the hiring of around 600 new officers.
Just weeks ago, he had announced plans to recruit 580 more officers, which angered some of his allies who felt this contradicted his pledge to maintain the NYPD’s officer count at 35,000.
The situation is particularly pressing, as the police force is currently facing significant demands during the summer, with officers working extended shifts due to events such as World Cup tourism and the Fourth of July celebrations.
Detective Carroll, who is planning to retire in just 10 days, was shot in the back by an 18-year-old suspect early Sunday while sitting in an unmarked patrol car with fellow officers in Brooklyn.
He sustained a gunshot wound to the upper back but, thanks to his bulletproof vest, he was fortunate to escape with only minor injuries. The shooter fled the scene but was soon captured after a brief chase.
