A video that surfaced on social media over the weekend appears to show a man making threats against NYPD funerals. The man allegedly has history of threatening violence against police, according to the detectives’ union president.
The post came after fallen NYPD Detective Jason Rivera’s funeral on Friday, where thousands of police officers packed Fifth Avenue to honor the fallen former officer. The video also came just before Tuesday’s wake for Rivera’s slain partner, Officer Wilbert Mora, followed by his funeral on Wednesday.
At least two police unions condemned the disturbing video Monday morning. The NYPD said it’s aware of the post but would not confirm if a criminal investigation had been launched.
In the video reviewed by PIX11 News, the man announced his aspirations to potentially harm those gathered for the next NYPD funeral.
The president of the Detectives’ Endowment Association identified the man in the video as Terrell Harper and implored the U.S. Attorney’s Office to arrest him on domestic terrorism charges.
In a statement, DEA President Paul DiGiacomo said: “We need federal assistance now to stop a possible terrorist incident. The threat is real. The time for action is now.”
According to DiGiacomo, Harper was already facing legal troubles for a racially laced tirade against an Asian-American officer last year.
“New Yorkers turned out by the thousands…to help us honor our fallen brother,” Police Benevolent Association President Pat Lynch said in a statement. “One person spreading hate cannot erase that. That kind of garbage has polluted the conversation for too long,” he added.
At least two other social media videos were uncovered over the weekend that criticized or threatened police in the wake of Rivera’s funeral.
The social media posts led to a local actress being fired from her theater company and a Brooklyn teacher apologizing for his post, the New York Post reported.
Rivera and Mora were gunned down in Harlem earlier in January after responding to a call for a domestic dispute between a mother and her adult son, who was the alleged gunman.