Harteau: Shootings Of New York Officers 'Outrageous, Unacceptable'
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- People are dropping off flowers and candles where New York police officers were shot execution-style while sitting in their squad car over the weekend.
Police say the gunman, Ismaayil Brinsley, posted messages on social media suggesting it was revenge for the killings of unarmed black men in New York and Missouri. He reportedly told people in the area to watch him just before opening fire.
It's been a tense time for the New York Police Department, with ongoing demonstrations over the death of Eric Garner. The head of the police union suggested New York's mayor and anti-police protesters are partly to blame.
"That blood on the hands starts at the steps of City Hall, in the office of the mayor. Every New Yorker should feel they too were attacked. Our entire city was attacked by this heinous individual," said Patrick Lynch.
Brinsley ran into a subway and took his own life. Investigators say he had shot his girlfriend before attacking the officers. She's still recovering in the hospital.
Locally in the Twin Cities, Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau wrote a message to her officers, calling the shootings of the two officers outrageous and unacceptable. She said the Minneapolis Police force should not let public debate from around the country impact their focus and successes in improving public safety locally.
Here in the Twin Cities, the Bloomington City attorney says additional charges could be brought against protesters who triggered a partial lockdown at Mall of America on Saturday.
Nearly 2,000 people filled the mall's rotunda for about an hour on Saturday. Despite warnings from police, 20 of them were arrested or cited. They're upset about the killings of unarmed men by police in New York and Missouri.
They chose the Mall of America because it was a high-profile spot to spread their message. Until the group moved outside, the mall closed entrances and stores to keep shoppers safe. The entrances and stores reopened a short time later.
