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

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.

Following Saturday's shooting, the head of the Patrolman's Benevolent Association, Pat Lynch, said there was "blood on the hands" of de Blasio and others at city hall. And when de Blasio arrived for a press conference, many officers turned away from him. --Jon Terbush

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