De Blasio demands NYPD cop who pulled his gun on protesters ‘have his gun and badge taken away’ 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has gone to war with his own cops as he demanded the officer who pointed his firearm at protesters ‘should have his gun and badge taken away’.

De Blasio called for the NYPD officer to be fired after footage surfaced on social media of him pulling his handgun and pointing it at protesters near Manhattan’s Union Square Sunday night where activists gathered to demand justice over George Floyd’s death.

‘It is not the place of an officer to pull a gun in the middle of a crowd, knowing that there are peaceful protesters in that crowd. That is unacceptable, that is dangerous,’ said de Blasio at his daily press briefing Monday. 

‘That officer should have his gun and badge taken away today.’ 

This comes as the mayor’s approach to the protests has been called into question after he was forced to backtrack over his response to footage of officers ramming crowds with an SUV and after it emerged his own daughter was arrested during a Manhattan protest. 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has gone to war with his own cops as he demanded the officer who pointed his firearm at protesters ‘should have his gun and badge taken away’

Footage surfaced on social media of a cop pulling his handgun and pointing it at protesters near Manhattan's Union Square Sunday night

Footage surfaced on social media of a cop pulling his handgun and pointing it at protesters near Manhattan’s Union Square Sunday night

The crowds are heard screaming and run from the cop amid fears that he will open fire - on a night where people gathered to demand an end to police brutality

The crowds are heard screaming and run from the cop amid fears that he will open fire – on a night where people gathered to demand an end to police brutality

In Sunday’s footage, the NYPD officer is seen drawing his handgun and pointing it at peaceful protesters while he quickly walks over the road toward them. 

The crowds are heard screaming and run from the cop amid fears that he will open fire – on a night where people gathered to demand an end to police brutality. 

The cop then returns the firearm to its holster and appears to be led by another cop back to the officer side of the road.

The incident reportedly took place at around 10p.m. Sunday night near 12th and Broadway outside the Strand, according to the social media post sharing the video.  

De Blasio slammed the actions of the officer as ‘absolutely unacceptable’ and said there would be an immediate investigation ‘to determine the larger consequence.’ 

The NYPD has also said it is conducting an internal review into the incident. 

De Blasio adopted a harsher tone toward the action of officers Monday after he was blasted over his response to other footage showing cops appear to intentionally drive head-on into a group of protesters.  

In aerial footage shot at a protest in Brooklyn Saturday, an NYPD cruiser is seen being blocked by protesters with a metal barricade, while some people hurled objects at the vehicle.

De Blasio adopted a harsher tone toward the action of officers Monday after he was blasted over his response to other footage (above) showing cops appear to intentionally drive head-on into a group of protesters

De Blasio adopted a harsher tone toward the action of officers Monday after he was blasted over his response to other footage (above) showing cops appear to intentionally drive head-on into a group of protesters

De Blasio initially defended the actions of the officers saying on Saturday that the officers acted while under attack before backpedaling Monday saying the incident was 'not acceptable' and that there are some cops 'who do not belong on this job'

De Blasio initially defended the actions of the officers saying on Saturday that the officers acted while under attack before backpedaling Monday saying the incident was ‘not acceptable’ and that there are some cops ‘who do not belong on this job’

A second cruiser arrives and goes around the first and accelerates through the crowds pushing pedestrians out of the way. 

The first car then rapidly accelerates ramming protesters out of the way.

De Blasio initially defended the actions of the officers saying on Saturday that the officers acted while under attack.

‘It is inappropriate for protesters to surround a police vehicle and threaten police officers,’ he said. 

‘That’s wrong on its face and that hasn’t happened in the history of protests in this city.’ 

But de Blasio faced a backlash over his comments, with many pointing out that the cop cars were at no point surrounded by protesters with no activists seen behind one of the cars.

New York Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also blasted his response as ‘unacceptable’. 

Peaceful protestors lay on the ground with their hands behind their back in a call for justice for George Floyd in Times Square on Monday

Peaceful protestors lay on the ground with their hands behind their back in a call for justice for George Floyd in Times Square on Monday

NYPD police officers arrest a protestor during a Black Lives Matter demonstration over the death of Floyd Monday

NYPD police officers arrest a protestor during a Black Lives Matter demonstration over the death of Floyd Monday

‘Your comments tonight were unacceptable,’ Ocasio-Cortez wrote on Twitter Sunday. 

‘Defending and making excuses for NYPD running SUVs into crowds was wrong. Make it right. De-escalate.’

The mayor backpedaled on his comments Monday saying the incident was ‘not acceptable’ and that there are some cops ‘who do not belong on this job’. 

‘We also have seen situations where police officers acted inappropriately,’ de Blasio said during his press briefing Monday morning. 

He explained: ‘I want to take a step back and talk about a very troubling video from the night before last of two police cars moving through a crowd. That was so troubling to the people of this city.’

He said he had spoken when the incident immediately occurred but admitted there is no situation where the actions of the cops would be acceptable. 

‘There is no situation where a police vehicle should drive into a crowd of protesters or New Yorkers of any kind. It is dangerous, it is unacceptable,’ de Blasio said.  

A protester smashes up a cop cruiser Sunday night near Union Square

A protester smashes up a cop cruiser Sunday night near Union Square 

Peaceful protests demanding justice for Floyd have descended into chaos as night falls

Peaceful protests demanding justice for Floyd have descended into chaos as night falls

‘This was an extremely aberrant situation and there were extenuating circumstances because of incidents that happened earlier in the day… but it is still not acceptable for our officers to ever drive into a crowd. 

He added that the incident was ‘under investigation as we speak’   

The mayor’s daughter Chiara de Blasio, 25, was arrested Saturday night during one of the city’s demonstrations after police infiltrated an ‘unlawful assembly’ of about 100 protesters at 12th Street and Broadway in Lower Manhattan.

A police report obtained by DailyMail.com showed Chiara was among those arrested for refusing to move off the road and throwing objects at NYPD officers. 

De Blasio broke his silence over the news Monday saying she was ‘acting peacefully’ and he is proud of her. 

He said he only learned of her arrest when his office was contacted by the media over the incident Sunday. 

‘If I had known my daughter was arrested I would’ve been the first to say something,’ de Blasio said. 

George Floyd

Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white cop has been arrested and charged with murder but three other officers involved continue to walk free (incident pictured)

Floyd, a 46-year-old black father of two, (left) was killed in Minneapolis last Monday when a white police officer (right) knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes despite him repeatedly begging for the cop to stop and saying ‘I can’t breathe’. The cop Derek Chauvin has been arrested and charged with murder but three other officers involved continue to walk free 

‘Even though this was a surprise to Chirlane and I, I respect my daughter, I honor her, and I know her heart.’ 

De Blasio’s war with the NYPD comes as tensions continue to escalate between protesters and cops in the Big Apple, as nationwide demonstrations over the death of Floyd entered their seventh night last night. 

A citywide curfew was put in place from 11p.m. Monday night to crack down on looting and rioting, after peaceful protests demanding justice for Floyd have descended into chaos as night falls. 

The curfew did little to quiet the disruption in the streets Monday with looters destroying and ransacking designer stores in Manhattan’s Midtown.   

Floyd, a 46-year-old black father of two, was killed in Minneapolis last Monday when a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes despite him repeatedly begging for the cop to stop and saying ‘I can’t breathe’. 

The cop Derek Chauvin has been arrested and charged with murder but three other officers involved continue to walk free. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk