New York police turn backs on Mayor de Blasio to protest cop killings

New York police turn backs on Mayor de Blasio to protest cop killings
(Image credit: Spencer Platt / Getty Images)

The tension between New York City police and Mayor Bill de Blasio reached a new low point Saturday when members of the police force symbolically turned their backs on the mayor as he arrived for a press conference to discuss the murder of two police officers.

The spat began when de Blasio, responding to a grand jury's decision to not bring charges in the Eric Garner chokehold case, said police sometimes treat people differently because of their race. Outraged and feeling as if they'd been thrown under the bus, officers then threatened to ban the mayor from police funerals.

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Jon Terbush

Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.