Six men have been arrested in connection with alleged threats made toward police officers since Saturday afternoon, when two NYPD officers were shot in the head from behind while sitting in their patrol car, said police spokeswoman Sophia Mason.
Police said in a statement Wednesday that they have assessed hundreds of online postings and calls to 911 and pressed the public to continue to report any suspicious activity.
“All threats against members of the NYPD are taken seriously and are investigated immediately to determine the credibility and origin of the information,” the statement read.
The arrests come as an investigation is underway into Ismaaiyl Brinsley, the 28-year-old who authorities say shot Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in Brooklyn.
Hours earlier, Brinsley apparently posted on his Instagram account: “I’m putting wings on pigs today … they take one of ours, let’s take two of theirs.” Brinsley committed suicide after shooting the officers, according to police.
The most recent arrest came on Wednesday after a 26-year-old allegedly posted pictures of weapons on his Facebook page along with threats to kill police officers, the NYPD spokeswoman confirmed. That individual is charged with making terroristic threats.
Also Wednesday, a 41-year-old was arrested on charges of aggravated harassment and making terroristic threats after he allegedly called into the 84th precinct — where Liu and Ramos had been stationed — and, requesting to speak to Ramos, asked whether the bullets had been removed from the dead officer’s head so “he could kill more cops,” Mason confirmed.
Of the six arrests, according to police, three stemmed from postings made on social media and two came on misdemeanor charges of false report incident, in which the suspects allegedly called into 911 — reporting threats made by a third party that were later debunked. One arrest was made after the suspect phoned in a direct threat to 911.
In addition to the six arrests, a seventh man was arrested on weapons and drug charges after he was overheard threatening to kill cops while talking on his cell phone inside a bank in Queens, according to the NYPD.
In a tweet Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio thanked the police department and the civilian who saw something and said something: “Thank you to the NYPD officers who today arrested a man who threatened to kill cops, and to the good samaritan who provided key information.”
