As New York City was besieged once again by rioters on Monday night, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's combative handling of the NYPD is fueling long-running tensions with New York’s Finest -- who have been increasingly vocal about what they see as a hardline on cops and a soft line on criminal elements.
“YOU DID THIS!” former NYPD Commissioner Bernard Kerik tweeted, linking to video of a cop being hit by a car. “You have allowed the thugs to take over our city with your ‘soft approach.’”
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On Monday night alone there were 700 arrests, with half a dozen officers injured and half a dozen police vehicles vandalized, according to the NYPD. That's as stores and parks were taken over by marauding protesters looting and causing significant damage. De Blasio was widely criticized for having placed a late curfew time of 11 p.m., by which time a significant amount of looting had already occurred.
“The Mayor in NYC has lost control of the mob and of the city,” former Mayor Rudy Giuliani tweeted. “The Mayor is preventing the NYPD to take the actions necessary to stop brutal attacks on police and citizens.”
De Blasio has suffered from poor relations with the cops for years. Cops turned their backs on him at an NYPD funeral in 2014 after the execution of two police officers -- which cops blamed in part on de Blasio’s anti-police rhetoric.
Now, with riots tearing through parts of New York, de Blasio has offered some praise to the police fighting it out on the ground, but has taken a number of shots at them even as they seek to defend the city.
On Monday he infuriated police by saying that a cop who drew his gun amid protesters should have his gun and badge taken from him “today.”
“That to me, seeing that video was absolutely unacceptable,” the mayor said. “Now, I don't know all the circumstances and we must know all the facts. There will be an immediate full investigation of that incident.”
However, the New York Police Benevolent Association posted longer video that showed the officer’s colleague was beaten with a brick moments earlier.
“Now we have the full story: this police officer unholstered his weapon only after his supervisor was nearly killed with a brick,” the union said.
Last week, de Blasio called for an “independent review” of police conduct after cops clashed with protesters, and while he criticized those protesters who attacked cops, he was equally critical of the police.
“We've seen some videos that do not reflect the philosophy of this city, the values of the city, the values of this administration, do not respect the values of the NYPD," he said. "We've seen some videos where protesters were handled very violently and roughly. And that is not neighborhood policing. And we will not accept that kind of behavior from any police officer."
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It has led to police groups warning their officers to take care. Sergeants Benevolent Association president Edward Mullins laid out a series of precautions for sergeants to take, urging them to report for duty with helmet and baton and to “not hesitate to utilize that equipment in securing your personal safety.”
“We are not to be used as political pawns for Mr. de Blasio, who could care less about the NYPD,” he said. “I urge you to protect yourself and your officers.”
De Basio has offered some support to the police as well. In a Tuesday morning press conference, he said he has “confidence” in the NYPD and warned protesters: “Anyone who attacks a police officer attacks all of us.”
Additionally, when video emerged on Saturday of police vans driving slowly through a crowd of protesters hurling items at them -- de Blasio initially backed the cops as other Democrats demanded firings and prosecutions, saying that it was the result of a “dangerous” tactic by protesters blocking police vehicles
“And we’ve seen direct attacks on police officers, including in their vehicles,” he said.
That was in direct contrast to both Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Gov. Andrew Cuomo who had called for the officers involved to be fired -- with AOC demanding prosecution.
But on Monday, de Blasio joined them in criticizing the men and women in blue.
“There is no situation where a police vehicle should drive into a crowd of protesters or New Yorkers of any kind,” he said. “It is dangerous. It is unacceptable.”
Cuomo’s criticism also sparked anger from cop groups, with the NYC PBA accusing Cuomo of having “joined the mob in trampling police officers’ rights.”
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“We have terrorists burning and looting our city for three nights running,” PBA President Patrick J. Lynch said on Saturday in a statement. “Neither he nor any other elected official has a plan to stop it, other than wrongly blaming the chaos on the cops.”
“At a time when we need leadership the most, police officers know we are completely alone.”
Fox News' Greg Norman and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
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