This is what our cops are up against: Organized looters, strategically placing caches of bricks & rocks at locations throughout NYC. pic.twitter.com/HT317TjoqH
— Commissioner Shea (@NYPDShea) June 3, 2020
Dermot Shea says ‘organized looters’ are stashing bricks to counter NYPD
Published
June 3, 2020
Updated
June 3, 2020, 9:40 p.m. ET
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea claimed Wednesday “organized looters” had stockpiled rocks in Brooklyn to aid in looting — but a local pol says there’s been no looting and it’s likely construction debris.
“This is what our cops are up against: organized looters, strategically placing caches of bricks & rocks at locations throughout NYC,” Shea tweeted at around 10:30 a.m., retweeting a citizen-shot video showing a cop moving blue crates (right) filed with rocks or bricks on Avenue X and West Third Street in Gravesend.
The commish doubled-down on the assertion at the mayor’s press conference shortly after the tweet.
“There is an orchestrated attack, specifically on members of law enforcement across the country,” Shea said. “We’ve had construction sites burglarized in recent days in Manhattan . . . but during a riot, it’s interesting what was taken: bricks,” Shea said, adding that bricks were thrown at cops outside a police station up in The Bronx.
The NYPD refused to provide more information on how police connected Manhattan thefts with Bronx attacks or concluded the Brooklyn rocks were placed maliciously.
The assertion was quickly challenged by City Councilman Mark Treyger, who said the organized looting happened nowhere near where the four stacked, bright blue bins of bricks were found in a remote section of Brooklyn.
“Could be evidence of a developer breaking law since phase one hasn’t begun, but there was no evidence of organized looting on X last night that I’m aware of,” Treyger wrote.
NYPD public-information officers would not answer questions about Shea’s claim.