Rappers shut down NYC bridge, blocked traffic for social media ‘stunt’: Shea
The NYPD is hunting for a crew of “idiots” who shut down the Kosciuszko Bridge — and snarled traffic for miles — as part of a social media “stunt,” the city’s top cop said Tuesday.
About a dozen men got out of their cars on the Brooklyn span around 6 p.m. Nov. 14 to rap along to blaring music, all while filming themselves, police said.
Video of the bridge shutdown shows traffic at a complete standstill in the background.
“You know, unfortunately, there’s no shortage of idiots these days and blocking a bridge and the inconvenience and the potential danger it can cause to me is reckless at the minimum,” Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said Tuesday on NY1.
“And we’re leaning towards there’s going to be an ability to bring charges here but it’s going to take some time.”
Shea said he plans to work with prosecutors to charge those in the video. He also said he believes the social media platform where the video is posted should take it down. It wasn’t immediately clear which platform it was posted on.
“This is not something that’s new, we’ve seen this over time for years,” Shea continued. “They will plan a stunt like this, they will put it up on social media, they will try to gain notoriety for it and get followers for it.”
Shea also blasted the crew’s brazenness — as well as the state’s soft-on-crime criminal justice system.
“How did we get to the point where people feel that that’s acceptable behavior and that they can get away with that?” he asked.
“And I think that part of the answer is because when we look at the people who broke car windows in Queens last week and when you see the one individual has numerous, numerous arrests. Part of the story is that nothing happens when you get arrested anymore.”
Mayor-elect Eric Adams commented about the bridge video on Twitter, calling for all those involved to be held accountable to the “fullest extent of the law.”
“Incidents like this damage our brand as a city, disrespect New Yorkers and endanger visitors and residents alike,” Adams tweeted Sunday. “All those who participated in this reckless behavior must be found and held responsible to the full extent of the law. We will not be a city of chaos.”
