After Shootings, Police Union Says It's at War With de Blasio

A New York City police union blamed the shootings of two officers over the weekend on Bill de Blasio and said it's "declaring war" on the mayor. "We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals," the union tweeted. "You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you." One officer was shot while sitting in a patrol van, and another was wounded in a Bronx police station less than 12 hours later. Both have been released from hospitals. Robert Williams is charged in both attacks, Fox News reports. The union is unhappy with several policy changes made by de Blasio, per Fox, including cutting back on stop-and-frisk usage, moving to close the Rikers Island jail and decreeing New York a sanctuary city.

The Sergeants Benevolent Association didn't say exactly what it meant by declaring war, per the Post, and the mayor's office didn't comment. "NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you," the tweet said. Ed Mullins, the union president, did say, "We are going to start to hold him accountable for all the policies and the things that he implements in place and the people." The city's police commissioner said that kind of rhetoric isn't constructive, per WABC, calling de Blasio supportive of the police department. "I think Ed Mullins should think before he tweets something like that," he said, "because it's not helpful." (More Bronx stories.)