A man caught on video tearing down Blue Lives Matter ribbons on New York's Staten Island, yelling "F--- blue lives," apologized after getting threatening messages on social media.
Stephen Varvaro told the Staten Island Advance on Wednesday that he knows he was at fault for ripping down the ribbons.
"I know that what I did was wrong," Varvaro told The Advance. "Tearing the ribbons down was the wrong thing to do. It was disrespectful."
(Warning: The following video contains language that some may find offensive.)
The video was circulated on Facebook and caused a backlash, including threats to Varvaro and his former employer. Varvaro said some people who have seen the video are "overreacting" by posting obscenities and threats to his personal safety.
"I'm in no way against Blue Lives Matter," he said.
The Staten Island man said he doesn't feel safe on the island anymore.
Varvaro said he removed the blue ribbons because he was angry and lost control. He said he now realizes the ribbons show support for the families of police officers and are not necessarily a sign of approval for the NYPD.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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