A heroic police officer was praised by city officials after fending off a group of “intoxicated homeless men” at a New York City subway station during the Christmas holiday; shouting “I don’t want to hurt you” as the vagrants repeatedly confronted the isolated officer.
“Stand back! Stand back!” yelled officer Syed Ali as the men approached. “I don’t want to hurt you!”
NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio praised Ali’s performance hours after the incident Christmas Day, saying “What extraordinary professionalism and bravery by NYPD Officer Syed Ali. Attacking our men and women in uniform won’t ever be tolerated. The NYPD is upping its presence at this station and others to ensure officers have the support they need.”
Watch the incredible footage above.
BUSTED: NYC Mayor Reportedly Used $3M NYPD 'Counter-Terror' Jet to Fly Home from Vacation
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio found himself in hot water this week after he reportedly used a $3 million “counter-terrorism” government plane to fly home from a personal vacation in Canada.
According to the NY Post, de Blasio used the jet to fly from Quebec back to the Big Apple where he was set to deliver in address in the Bronx; returning to the Canadian province later that day.
“NYPD is transporting him in their plane,” de Blasio spokesman Eric Phillips told the Post.
“It is very unusual to go on an international flight to go pick up the mayor,” said an inside source close to the police department. “I think it’s excessive, because that wasn’t what that plane was designed to do. It’s designed for counterterrorism measures. To go to Canada to get the mayor? It’s excessive.”
“Neither the NYPD nor the Mayor’s Office would say who decided to use the plane, how much the trip cost taxpayers or why the mayor didn’t take a commercial flight — which is about $300 round-trip,” writes the Post.
Read the full story at the New York Post.
EYES IN THE SKY: NYPD Launches New, Cop-Controlled DRONE Fleet over the Big Apple
The New York City Police Department expanded its aerial protection over the nation’s largest city this week; unveiling a new police officer-controlled drone program called the Unmanned Aircraft System.
Police Department officials say the UAS will allow law enforcement to operate in hard-to-reach crime scenes; including hostage situations, hazardous material incidents, and search and rescue operations.
“As the largest municipal police department in the United States, the NYPD must always be willing to leverage the benefits of new and always-improving technology,” said Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill. “Our new UAS program is part of this evolution – it enables our highly-trained cops to be even more responsive to the people we serve, and to carry out the NYPD’s critical work in ways that are more effective, efficient, and safe for everyone.”
The department plans to deploy at least 11 “small quadcopter drones” in the coming weeks.
It remains unclear if the unmanned aircraft will be used to patrol the Big Apple’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration in the heart of Times Square.
Read the full report at Fox New York.