NYPD Cops Forgo Face Masks At Protests Because 'They Can't Breathe,' Says Commissioner

Cops holding the line at police brutality protests in New York have stopped wearing face masks because "they can't breathe."

This statement was made by First Deputy Commissioner Benjamin Tucker on Tuesday (June 9) after the New York Police Department (NYPD) received criticism at the City Council’s Committee on Public Safety virtual hearing for not using personal protective equipment (PPE) . The commissioner's words, ironically, are very similar to the final words of George Floyd, the African American whose death while under the custody of cops in Minneapolis set off the current wave of protests. Floyd was heard in a video of the incident saying "I can't breathe," while officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground with his leg on Floyd's neck.

The commissioner said members of the NYPD at the densely packed rallies should be wearing face masks but some have chosen to take off the protective equipment. "There may be cases where they take it off for a reason. Maybe it’s hot, maybe they can’t breathe," Tucker said.

The use of personal protective equipment, especially the face masks, is necessary as the coronavirus is still infecting about 20,000 people a day in the United States. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), warned Tuesday that the pandemic "isn't over."

"I can't breathe" has become the rallying cry of protesters against police brutality and racism. Those also were apparently the last words of Eric Garner, another African American killed by Staten Island cops in 2014, who was subjected to a chokehold.

Councilman Donovan Richards, who is the chairperson of the Committee on Public Safety, said cops who are not wearing masks are symbolical examples of why there's unrest against law enforcement.

"Masks are part of the hypocrisy here that’s ignited the powder keg of resentment in the city, one that gives them immunity from following their own laws,” Richards said and then proceeded to show Tucker photos of a protest in Barclays, where about 50 members of the NYPD had no face masks on.

"This is the hypocrisy that the public sees and it aids and abets the argument that we all have that the NYPD believes they are above the law," the councilman said.

The commissioner, however, interjected that some members of the NYPD are still observing public health guidelines despite the challenges of having masks on amid a busy, sometimes violent, protest. He said he will not discipline NYPD officers who won’t wear face masks while guarding the rallies.

"These questions don’t take into account the real world, the practical implications of what happens in crowd-control conditions, where officers are being hit with bricks and pipes and Molotov cocktails are being thrown at the cars," Tucker said.