DEI Is Emasculating The FDNY Too, Just Like The Secret Service
As DEI continues to take over much of government and corporate America's human resources, we must recognize the consequences that lie ahead.As DEI continues to take over much of government and corporate America's human resources, we must recognize the consequences that lie ahead.FDNY firefighter fired by city to free up funds for illegal aliens dies suddenly, leaving behind struggling young family
Hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens have flooded into New York City where, in many cases, they receive thousands of dollars in free rent monthly from the government. They are also eligible for a host of taxpayer-funded services such as health insurance, medical care, food assistance, and public education.
NYC has struggled to find ways to pay down the cost of housing, feeding, and placating this unlawfully imported cohort, which has brought with it upticks in crime, disease, and resource competition, disproportionately affecting America's most vulnerable citizens. As with other Democratic-run sanctuary cities, NYC determined late last year that it would have to make various budget cuts, laying off citizen workers to free up funds for idling foreigners.
Derek Floyd, a 36-year-old former Marine who had gone to work for the New York City Fire Department, was one of the citizens who got the boot last year. Shortly thereafter, he died of a heart attack. Now, his family is facing financial struggles.
Floyd long aspired to be a firefighter. After picking up various accolades and campaign medals for tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, and South Korea with the Marines, the proud American's dream began to materialize.
"He decided to go be a Marine," his mother told Newsday, "because he thought it could help him do better as a fireman."
Floyd made it to the FDNY Fire Academy and began to train for a second career protecting his countrymen, this time in New York City. However, one month into training, he suffered a nonfatal heart attack.
While unable to complete the academy on account of his June 2019 health episode, he went to work for four years as a probationary firefighter with the FDNY Ceremonial Unit, according to his obituary in Newsday.
Floyd worked on modified duty in the chaplain's office, helping to arrange the funerals of fallen firefighters — until the city canned him just before Christmas 2023.
FDNY sources told the New York Post that Floyd was one of roughly 10 employees who had been hurt on the job and assigned office work or had been sick for a prolonged period who were terminated as part of a broader budget cut scheme aimed at tackling the financial strain imposed by the city's overwhelming illegal alien population.
"What disturbs me the most is that the FDNY is understaffed by hundreds of firefighters. Terminating [Floyd] was absolutely unnecessary," Uniformed Firefighter Association President Andrew Ansbro told the Post. "He had an important job, and the FDNY actually needed him in that unit. He was terminated so the department could prove that they were making cuts. He deserved better."
After struggling to make ends meet, the husband and father died from a cardiac arrest four months later.
Christine Floyd, the Marine's widow, told the Post, "I wouldn't wish it on anyone."
"I think it definitely took a toll once they let him go," Christine Floyd said of Floyd's termination. "He always tried to, like, stay positive about it, and he wasn't really angry."
"But you see a person, and the wheels are turning in their brain where they're just constantly thinking, so I definitely think it did affect us," said the widow.
According to the Post, Floyd had been close to securing additional medical benefits for his family as well as over $600,000 in death benefits at the time of his ouster. While foreign nationals continue to be cared for, his wife and two kids were effectively left with nothing.
"If Derek would have stayed on, he would have had a life insurance policy with the FDNY," said his widow, a guidance counselor with the NYC Department of Education. "That would have helped out financially because right now, it's really bad. I'm honestly swimming in a lot of debt."
The GoFundMe campaign organized on behalf of the Marine's widow and their two children, ages 6 and 2, had already raised over $48,000 at the time of publication.
"He was someone of integrity. His word was his bond. If he said he was going to do something, he was going to do it," Christine Floyd told Newsday. "And his heart beat for our kids."
Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said, "We are heartbroken over the passing of former Probationary Firefighter Derek Floyd, and will explore all financial, legal and legislative options to help his family and ensure they have the support they need during this time."
The Post indicated that City Hall did not respond to its request for comment.
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Federal judge rips FDNY members for heckling Letitia James with boos, 'Trump!' chants, says incident is about 'race'
In the wake of New York City Fire Department members heckling state Attorney General Letitia James last month with boos and "Trump!" chants, U.S. District Court Judge Nicholas Garaufis said the incident wasn't about politics but about race, the New York Daily News reported.
“I’ve lived in New York City all my life. I know what the problem is. And believe me, front and center is what happened the other day," Garaufis said in reference to the heckling incident, the paper noted. "This doesn’t have to do with politics; this has to do with race."
What's the background?
James was booed as she walked to the podium to speak at a March 8 FDNY promotion ceremony at the Christian Cultural Center's Brooklyn Campus. James told the not-too-happy-to-see-her firefighters, "Oh, come on, we're in a house of God."
When they didn't stop, James motioned with her hands and said "simmer down" — but soon the firefighters began chanting, "Trump! Trump! Trump!"
New York Attorney General Letitia James booed in New York City youtu.be
The New York Post reported that FDNY Chief of Department John Hodges in response "fired off an email to other agency honchos warning a reckoning led by the department’s Bureau of Investigation and Trials was coming over the chorus of boos and chants of 'Trump' that James received at Thursday’s event."
"BITS is investigating this, so they will figure out who the members are,” Hodges wrote in an email to FDNY leadership, according to the Post, adding that "I recommend they come forward. I have been told by the commissioner it will be better for them if they come forward, and we don’t have to hunt them down."
The heckling presumably had to do with James targeting former President Donald Trump in a civil fraud case that resulted in an over $450 million penalty Trump was supposed to pony up last week or risk James seizing his properties. But a New York appellate court at the 11th hour ruled that Trump instead could post a $175 million bond — which he did April 1 — as the appeal process plays out.
It's worth noting that James' political campaign for the AG chair focused on her insistence that she would go after Trump.
What else?
Garaufis' "this has to do with race" declaration directed toward the FDNY was part of his reaction to a complaint from the Vulcan Society of Black firefighters, which is in the midst of a civil rights settlement with the department that Garaufis is overseeing, the Daily News said.
Vulcan Society President Regina Wilson told the judge at a March 14 status conference that the FDNY members heckling James demonstrates a racist culture at the the department, the Daily News added: “I don’t know if you had an opportunity to just see the vile nature of these members even when we were at Christian Cultural Center where they started booing and saying ‘Trump, Trump Trump,’ while Letitia James was at the podium. This behavior is who this department is. Not all of them, but a large portion of them. So when black people go to work and have to deal with this, and you don’t get any help or support really from the department, it’s horrific.”
In response, Garaufis demanded that FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh and New York City's Corporation Counsel Sylvia Hinds-Radix appear before him at the next status conference in the case in May to explain why it’s taking so long for the department to answer equal opportunity complaints, the Daily News noted.
How are observers reacting?
About 1,200 comments already have been posted under a Fox News story about Garaufis' "race" slap-down that Yahoo News published Tuesday — and many of them weren't happy. Here's a sampling:
- "When all else fails, race is the answer," one commenter wrote. "It's possible people just don't like her or what she did or didn't do or how she did it or whatever simply because they don't like her as a person. To blame the dislike on race is itself [racist] against those who are upset, but that's the way it's done today."
- "Has to do with free speech, judge. Or can you read peoples' minds. The beginning of the thought police," another commenter pondered.
- "James is all about lawfare against Trump. It’s blatantly obvious. That is why so many people dislike her," another commenter stated. "She earned it."
- "Why is it when someone disagrees with policies or decisions of the current administration it always about race or a threat to democracy?" another commenter wondered. "This had nothing to do with race."
- "The race card yet again. Over and over it's played. This was about politics. and they tuned it into race," another commenter declared.
- "Free speech is our right whether the judge likes it or not," another commenter stated.
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Dem lawmaker pushes FDNY to remove 'politically charged' thin red line American flag honoring 9/11 responders
The New York City Fire Department's Ladder Company 11 was recently ordered to remove its thin red line American flag honoring responders killed in the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, the New York Post reported.
The department issued the order on March 22 after Democratic Manhattan Councilwoman Carlina Rivera's office confronted Ladder Company 11 about the so-called politically charged symbol.
In an email dated March 19, Rivera's office asked the FDNY whether the firehouse displayed a flag with "political symbols."
"I'm reaching out on behalf of a constituent of ours regarding a thin blue/red line flag on Ladder 11 last week (and earlier on Jan 20th)," Rivera's office wrote to the department. "When asked about the meaning, they claimed it was to honor deceased firefighters, however he brought up that they could've used an FDNY flag rather than a politically charged symbol."
"It is both his and our understandings that private political symbols aren't permitted to be displayed on public vehicles," her office continued. "Can you confirm if there are any violating flags/symbols on Ladder 11?"
The flag was displayed on the firehouse's fire truck, next to a memorial placard honoring six men — Lt. Michael Quilty and firefighters Michael Cammarata, Edward Day, John Hefferman, Richard Kelly Jr., and Matthew Rogan — who were killed on 9/11.
Sources told the Post that a man claiming to be one of Rivera's staffers arrived at the firehouse a few days after the email demanding to know why the flag was still flying, calling it a "fascist symbol," the sources claimed.
The confrontation with the alleged staffer prompted FDNY Deputy Chief Joseph Schiralli to visit the firehouse and request responders remove it from the fire truck, noting that it violated the department's ban on "altered" versions of the American flag. Sources told the Post that the prohibition was enacted in 2020 by then-Commissioner Daniel Nigro and then-First Deputy Commissioner Laura Kavanagh amid Black Lives Matter's anti-police movement.
The Post reported that Schiralli was reluctant to order the flag's removal, calling the requirement "ridiculous."
A Ladder Co. 11 firefighter told the news outlet, "This flag has huge significance for us."
"I wish [Rivera's office] would have come at it like 'Hey, we want to learn about the flag and what it represents' before they asked for it to be taken down,'" another firefighter stated.
Rivera told the Post that the initial complaint was from a constituent and not one of her staffers.
"We have heard nothing further from the FDNY and have taken no additional action on this matter," Rivera stated, referring to the email sent by her office. "My relationship with Ladder 11 has always been strong."
Hours after the removal was ordered, now-Commissioner Kavanagh and Chief of Department John Hodgens reversed the decision, allowing the flag to be displayed once again.
A Ladder 11 firefighter told the Post, "We're happy with the outcome of this — but we're offended it happened in the first place."
New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R) responded to the news on X, writing, "I want to extend a deep personal thank you to @FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens for taking a bold stand and ordering the thin red line flag to be put back up at Ladder 11 last week."
"We are living in a time of increasing political pressure to adhere to certain ideologies - ideologies that seek to censor and shame anyone or anything that might dare to disagree with their positions. Chief Hodgens showed great personal courage by defying the will of certain loud radicals in government, and restoring that flag even when political forces were being arrayed against him," Ariola continued. "Thank you, Chief Hodgens, for doing what was right. May that honor and bravery become contagious, and spread throughout our city. We certainly need it."
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FDNY boss threatens to 'hunt' down firefighters who booed NY AG Letitia James, cheered Trump at ceremony: Leaked email
New York Attorney General Letitia James was booed by firefighters during a promotion ceremony last week. Now, an FDNY boss has threatened to "hunt" down firefights who jeered James while cheering for former President Donald Trump, according to a leaked email.
James was invited to speak at a New York Fire Department promotion ceremony held on Thursday that honored Rev. Pamela Holmes – the FDNY's second female chaplain and the first black woman to hold the title. The event was held at the Christian Cultural Center's Brooklyn Campus.
As James walked to the podium, she was greeted with a chorus of boos from the FDNY members in the audience.
James told the firefighters, "Oh, come on, we're in a house of God."
The jeering of James continued.
Using hand motions, James instructed the firefighters to "simmer down."
The boos continued as the N.Y. AG spoke.
Some members of the audience started to chant: "Trump! Trump! Trump!"
The passionate sneering of James stemmed from James targeting Trump in a civil fraud case that resulted in a New York judge ordering the former president to pay $355 million.
However, an FDNY boss is now threatening to hunt down the firefighters who taunted James, according to a leaked email.
The New York Post reported, "FDNY Chief of Department John Hodges fired off an email to other agency honchos warning a reckoning led by the department’s Bureau of Investigation and Trials was coming over the chorus of boos and chants of 'Trump' that James received at Thursday’s event."
"BITS is investigating this, so they will figure out who the members are,” Hodges wrote in an email to FDNY leadership sent out on Saturday, according to the outlet.
“I recommend they come forward," Hodges recommended, before he threatened, "I have been told by the commissioner it will be better for them if they come forward and we don’t have to hunt them down."
"The [deputy chiefs] shall direct the captain of the company to make a list of those who come forward and send it directly to [FDNY operations]. I realize members might not come forward but they should know that there is clear video of the entire incident and they will be contacted by BITS if they don’t," the email reportedly read.
FDNY spokesman Jim Long attempted to downplay the report, and told Fox News on Sunday, "Nobody is hunting anyone down. We’re looking into those who clearly broke department regulations. It has nothing to do with politics. It’s about professionalism at an official event held in a house of worship."
An anonymous FDNY retiree allegedly told the Post, "It was a political stunt for the city to have the AG there. When it backfired, they sent their fascist pit bulls after guys for exercising their First Amendment rights. Most were off-duty and not in FDNY uniform."
Harvard Law professor emeritus and criminal law attorney Alan Dershowitz told the Post, "Firefighters have an absolute constitutional right to boo the attorney general, and the government has no power to punish them for it. So efforts to get the names of the booers is an effort by the government to chill free speech and is unconstitutional."
The Uniformed Fire Officers Association advised members to follow FDNY regulations, but to contact the UFOA for legal representation if they are targeted by the investigation.
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New York Attorney General Letitia James booed in New York City www.youtube.com
A child and a teen die in 'explosion of fire' caused by a lithium-ion e-bike battery
Two young people died in an "explosion of fire" in the Astoria neighborhood of Queens Monday in a blaze caused by an e-bike's lithium-ion battery, according to FDNY officials and local news outlets.
"The way these fires occur, it's like an explosion of fire. The occupants have very little chance of escaping," said FDNY Chief of Department John Hodgens from the scene of fatal two-alarm fire in Queens.
Officials said the heavy fire condition started on the first floor and traveled directly up the stairs.
Of the six occupants upstairs, four were able to jump out the windows and lived. Two others did not survive.
Officials did not immediately release the names and ages of the individuals who died. Neighbors told the New York Times the victims were siblings, a 7-year-old boy and his 19-year-old sister. The mother was reportedly not home at the time.
The e-bike was parked in the first-floor vestibule at the front door when the fire started.
Chief Hodgens said it appeared an extension cord had been run from the upstairs apartment to the bike. The bike was apparently being charged using an after-market charging device, ABC News reported.
Lithium-ion battery fires have increased dramatically in recent years. The FDNY offers several safety tips and important pieces of precautionary advice on the dangers of the popular, rechargeable batteries used in electric bikes, scooters, cars, laptops, and other common devices here.
An e-bike fire in a Bronx grocery store injured seven people and gutted the store on March 5, the New York Post reported. The quick-moving, five-alarm fire required 50 units and more than 200 firefighters to put out. Five firefighters suffered minor injuries in that blaze.
The FDNY shared photos on its Twitter account that showed ladders leading to the second floor of the home where Monday's fire occurred, the charred remains of the bike, and the battery believed to have started the fire.
"We had a terrible tragedy today," the FDNY tweeted.
\u201cWe had a terrible tragedy here today. A fire started on the first floor in the vestibule. The cause of the fire was an e-bike - said Chief of Department Hodgens from the scene of a 2-alarm fire which killed two people in Queens this afternoon. Read more: https://t.co/xjdPl7NZFx\u201d— FDNY (@FDNY) 1681167975
"Today’s fire marks our 59th fire this year caused by a lithium-ion battery. Today, unfortunately we have had our fifth fatality this year as a result of lithium-ion batteries," said Chief Fire Marshal Dan Flynn in statement accompanying the FDNY's Instagram post on the deadly blaze.
"We want people to use them, but we want people to use them safely. We want people to purchase chargers that are compatible with the devices that they purchase. Do not buy the cheapest device," Chief Flynn said.
"We lost two people today; we were fortunate not to lose six."
'I was very drunk': Video shows NYC man try to set restaurant on fire for getting chicken biryani order wrong, but ends up lighting himself ablaze
Viral video shows the moment a furious customer attempted to burn a restaurant to the ground for getting his order wrong. However, the New York City man ended up lighting himself on fire.
The official Twitter account for the FDNY posted video of a man attempting to light a Bangladeshi restaurant on fire on Oct. 2. The surveillance camera footage catches the man pouring a flammable liquid on the Ittadi Garden & Grill in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens, New York.
Video shows him crouching down to ignite the fire when the revenge plot spectacularly backfires.
The man's body gets caught in the huge fireball. He is seen running away from his own fire that he ignited.
On Oct. 14, NYPD arrested Choephel Norbu for the alleged arson following an investigation that lasted nearly two weeks. The 49-year-old man was charged with one count of arson in the third degree and one count of criminal mischief in the second degree, according to the Queens District Attorney's office.
Norbu ordered a chicken biryani from the Bangladeshi restaurant, according to court documents. However, he reportedly got the wrong order and became extremely angry. He is said to have thrown away the chicken biryani in disgust.
Norbu is accused of marching back to the Ittadi Garden & Grill and torching the restaurant.
"I was very drunk. I bought chicken biryani. They didn’t give me chicken biryani. I was mad, and I threw it out,” Norbu told police, according to a criminal complaint obtained by the New York Post. “I bought a gas can, and I threw it at the store to try to burn it out. I lit it up, and boom, it got on me.”
The blaze caused over $1,500 in damages to the restaurant, including shattered glass at the front and damage to the air conditioning unit, according to the District Attorney's office.
Norbu – who does not have a criminal record – was released without bail after arraignment.
He is due back in court on Dec. 7, Meris Campbell, said a spokesperson for the Queens District Attorney's office.
(WARNING: Graphic video)
\u201cToday, Acting Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced the arrest of Choephel Norbu. #FDNY Fire Marshals along with @NYPDnews Arson and Explosion Detectives arrested Norbu, 49, for intentionally setting a fire. Read more: https://t.co/151Huk3jDY\u201d— FDNY (@FDNY) 1666038993
9/11 responder and 25-year veteran of FDNY EMS fatally stabbed 19 times just 6 months before retirement; suspect arrested after standoff
A 25-year veteran EMS worker with the FDNY was brutally stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack. The suspect was later arrested following a standoff in New York City.
FDNY EMT Lt. Alison Russo-Elling was on duty and walking near her station house by 20th Avenue and 41st Street around 2:20 p.m. on Thursday. A gruesome video shows a man lunging at Russo-Elling with a knife. She is slammed to the ground, bashing her head on the sidewalk. The madman stabbed her 19 times in Astoria, Queens.
The New York Post reported, "A witness confronted the madman, but he snarled, 'F*** you, f*** you!' before stepping away from his victim and charging at the scooter-riding pedestrian while still holding the knife, police sources said."
The 61-year-old EMT suffered fatal stab wounds to the chest. Russo-Elling was rushed to Mount Sinai Queens Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Russo-Elling was killed on the job just six months before she was set to retire. She reportedly planned to spend more time with her daughter and grandchildren after retirement.
The barbaric attacker fled the crime scene.
A Good Samaritan chased the suspect back to his home – where he barricaded himself in his nearby apartment. Hostage negotiators were able to talk him out of the third-floor apartment, and he was arrested.
An FDNY source told the New York Post, "At this point in the investigation there doesn’t appear to have been any prior contact between them. He just walked toward her, sped up, and then stabbed her to death."
A security camera at a local business caught the savage stabbing on video. The business owner turned over the video to the NYPD.
The business owner told WCBS-TV, "It was totally unprovoked. There was no rhyme or reason. There was no back and forth."
The anonymous business owner said he had previously seen the suspect wandering around the neighborhood aimlessly. He added that the suspect looked "unhinged" and "like he was on another planet."
A local resident said she had seen the suspect in the neighborhood before the knife attack and referred to him as "the crazy guy."
Police charged Peter Zisopoulous in the deadly stabbing attack. The 34-year-old faces charges of second-degree murder and possession of a weapon.
In April 2018, Zisopoulous allegedly made anti-Asian threats on Facebook and was taken to the Elmhurst Hospital for being emotionally disturbed and suffering a serious mental health issue at the time, according to the New York Post.
Tributes poured in for Russo-Elling – who was a first responder at the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001, and assisted in the rescue and recovery efforts at Ground Zero after 9/11.
FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said, "While outside her station she was stabbed multiple times in a barbaric and completely unprovoked attack. Members of EMS serve only to help and save other people’s lives. To be attacked and killed in the course of helping others is both heartbreaking and enraging for our department in ways I cannot describe."
"Lieutenant Russo exemplified FDNY EMS. She served the city for 25 years," Kavanagh continued. "She was a World Trade Center first responder. She was cited multiple times for her bravery and her lifesaving work, and she was absolutely beloved on this job."
New York City Mayor Eric Adams said, "She was on duty, doing her job, saving the people of the City of New York. That was her role and that's the role of the countless men and women who are moving through the city, saving New Yorkers."
Adams added, "She was working for this city. She paid the ultimate sacrifice because of that."
The NYPD Chaplains Unit honored the slain EMT: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of FDNY Emergency Medical Service Lieutenant Alison Russo-Elling who was stabbed and killed in the line of duty. May God grant her eternal peace."
The Uniformed Firefighters Association wrote on Twitter, "Today 25 year veteran EMS Lt. Alison Russo-Elling was murdered in the line of duty while attending to a patient. The UFA and all members of the FDNY are enraged at the senseless killing and ever increasing violence in our city. It has to stop. Her senseless killing brings sorrow to every member of the FDNY and every New Yorker. We stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the department with bowed heads, and we will forever be here to support our FDNY family in this unspeakably difficult time. We extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Alison’s family, loved ones, and colleagues."
\u201cToday 25 year veteran EMS Lt. Alison Russo-Elling was Murdered in the Line of Duty while attending to a patient.\nThe UFA and all members of the FDNY are Enraged at the senseless killing and ever increasing violence in our city. \n\nIt has to stop.\u201d— FDNY UFA (@FDNY UFA) 1664501206
Former New York City police commissioner Bill Bratton added, "The senseless murder of FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo-Elling is tragic loss mourned by all of NYC. A 25-year veteran, she was a dedicated public servant who selflessly cared for people in their time of need. Lt. Russo-Elling led a life of significance. Praying for her family."
\u201cThe senseless murder of @FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo-Elling is tragic loss mourned by all of NYC. A 25-year veteran, she was a dedicated public servant who selflessly cared for people in their time of need. Lt. Russo-Elling led a life of significance. Praying for her family.\u201d— Bill Bratton (@Bill Bratton) 1664535286
Fellow first responders paid tribute to Russo-Elling by lining the streets as a procession transported her body from the hospital to the medical examiner's office.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Adams ordered that all flags be lowered to half-staff to pay respect to FDNY EMS Lieutenant Alison Russo-Elling.
Suspect charged in deadly EMT stabbing www.youtube.com
FDNY says e-bikes have been responsible for over 100 fires, multiple deaths since the start of 2021
FDNY officials are warning that the lithium ion batteries from increasingly-popular e-bikes present a fire hazard, and have already been responsible for at least 140 fires in the last 16 months alone. Those fires have caused dozens of injuries and at least 5 deaths in New York City since the start of 2021.
According to WCBS-TV, FDNY put out four fires attributed to the bikes in a single day on Thursday. One of those fires consumed two houses on East Ninth Street in Brooklyn. According to the Daily News, the fire took 100 firefighters over two hours to put out, and caused 7 injuries. The Fire Department said that these fires were nothing new, and that there have already been over 40 fires this year started by e-bikes, at least one of which has been deadly. Officials further said that there were over 100 such fires in 2021, leading to 79 injuries and at least four deaths.
A dozen people were noted to be injured in Thursday's e-bike fires alone.
Lithium-ion battery-powered conveyances have become increasingly common in many large cities, but they do come with risk. FDNY suggests that the lithium ion batteries that come factory installed with these devices are generally safe, but the problem seems to occur when customers cut corners by purchasing third-party replacement batteries that may not always be appropriately tested or safe.
FDNY additionally warns that sometimes replacement charging cords manufactured by third parties can malfunction and cause fires. The rash of fires caused by these devices and their charging cables led FDNY to release a safety video with tips on how to avoid your device exploding or catching fire.
If using a lithium-ion battery, follow the manufacturer\u2019s instructions for charging and storage. Always use the manufacturer\u2019s cord and power adapter made specifically for the device. If a battery overheats, discontinue use immediately. See more at http://fdnysmart.org\u00a0pic.twitter.com/YKxx2tKK8N— FDNY (@FDNY) 1650652987
In spite of the rash of fires, city officials have recently encouraged the city to purchase even more e-bikes for use in the Department of Transportation fleet. During his recent campaign, Mayor Eric Adams promised to subsidize e-bike purchases for NYC residents.
'I'm gonna kill you': Unhinged man tosses Molotov cocktail into Brooklyn deli; Good Samaritan knocks 2nd cocktail from his hand, preventing greater damage
Surveillance videos captured the moment a man tossed a Molotov cocktail into the NR Rock Deli in Brooklyn on Saturday morning, immediately igniting the store's interior and sending employees running from the flames, the New York Post reported.
Shocking video shows Molotov cocktail attack yesterday on a deli at 496 Nostrand Ave Brooklyn. Property damage but… https://t.co/rnDxAQMiPG
— Tony Aiello (@AielloTV) 1635710984.0
What are the details?
New York City Fire Department and law enforcement sources told the paper the suspect got into an argument with store staff before carrying out the attack.
Video shows the suspect lighting the Molotov cocktail outside the Bedford-Stuyvesant store and tossing it inside.
A second video camera inside the bodega shows the cocktail igniting near the deli display case and covering an entire side of the store with flames.
The explosion sent one employee running through the fire and stumbling to the floor with his shoe in flames before making it outside; a second employee also ran outside to safety.
Video outside the store also shows the suspect attempting to toss a second Molotov cocktail into the deli before a Good Samaritan knocks the incendiary device from his hand, after which the cocktail explodes on the sidewalk in front of the store.
'I'm gonna kill you'
Mohamed Abdulla was working behind the counter in his father's store when the attack took place, WCBS-TV reported.
"He was threatening, 'I'm gonna kill you. I'm gonna burn the store. I'm going to burn the building down,'" Abdulla told the station regarding the suspect's alleged words prior to the attack.
He told WCBS the first Molotov cocktail explosion "was so fast, you wouldn't believe it. I was there working in the deli and had customers. Out of nowhere I had glass and fire in my face."
Abdulla suffered burns to his arms, the station said.
He's also thankful for the quick thinking of the man who stopped a second cocktail from being thrown into the deli, the station said: "If the second one would have came here, the whole building would have been on fire."
What happened after the attack?
Video shows the suspect running away after the Good Samaritan knocked the second Molotov cocktail from his hand.
Abdulla said he chased the suspect two blocks to a train station and held him until authorities arrived, WCBS reported.
FDNY fire marshals arrested Joel Mangal, 38, and charged him with arson, assault, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon, and criminal mischief, the department told the Daily News.
Police told WCBS the suspect slashed Abdulla in the hand while Abdulla was holding him, which triggered the weapon charge.
https://t.co/5XE8pKITrz
— The Bronx Daily.™ | Bronx.com (@The_Bronx_Daily) 1635711900.0
"Fortunately, there was no loss of life here. The investigative work from the Explosives and Arson Task Force comprised of our Fire Marshals, the NYPD, and ATF, led to the timely arrest of this suspect who threatened the safety of our communities by using such a cruel and destructive device," FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro told WPIX-TV. "FDNY will continue to work alongside local, state and federal partners to bring to justice those who use fire as a weapon against New Yorkers."
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