City leaders express outrage after officers assaulted in Times Square

Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams have expressed their outrage following a violent attack on two police officers by a group of men outside a Midtown migrant shelter, casting a spotlight on the safety of law enforcement officials.

Governor Hochul did not mince her words, suggesting that if any of the suspects involved in the attack are migrants, they should face deportation. “Get them all and send them back,” she declared at an unrelated news conference. “You don’t touch our police officers, you don’t touch anybody.”

Mayor Adams echoed the sentiment, labeling the case as “disgusting” and emphasizing the need for respect towards police officers during an unrelated news conference. The attack occurred as the officers responded to a report of a disorderly group outside a migrant shelter in Times Square, according to the NYPD.

Seven individuals have been arrested and charged with crimes ranging from assault on a police officer to robbery, though it remains unclear how many of them, if any, are migrants. Six of the suspects have already been arraigned, with a Manhattan judge setting bail at $15,000 for one individual who is now in custody.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s office has raised questions about the evidence against the seventh person arrested, stating, “At this time, there is not sufficient evidence that he is one of the people who committed this terrible act.” They emphasized their commitment to condemning assaults on police officers while emphasizing the importance of determining each individual’s involvement.

Camille Joseph Varlack, the mayor’s chief of staff, weighed in during a press briefing outside the Roosevelt Hotel, stressing the significance of ensuring everyone involved in the incident goes through the criminal justice system. “If convicted, yeah, I think they should be deported,” Varlack stated, underlining the seriousness with which city officials are approaching the aftermath of this troubling incident.