NYPD lieutenant apologizes for kneeling at protest

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

A lieutenant with the New York Police Department who knelt alongside George Floyd protesters apologized for doing so in an email to his colleagues, writing, "The cop in me wants to kick my own a--."

In a June 3 email obtained by NBC New York, the officer, Lt. Robert Cattani, said his kneeling with protesters "goes against every principle and value that I stand for."

Cattani was among at least four officers who submitted to demonstrators' chants of "NYPD take a knee" during a May 31 protest in Lower Manhattan, according to the New York Post, which first reported the email.

The police lieutenant told his colleagues in the email that he had trouble sleeping after he "made a horrible decision to give into a crowd of protesters demands and kneeled alongside several other officers."

In his email, Cattani said he knelt to appease protesters.

"The conditions prior to the decision to take a knee were very difficult as we were put center stage with the entire crowd chanting," he wrote.

“I know I made the wrong decision," he added. "We didn't know how the protesters would have reacted if we didn't and were attempting to reduce any extra violence."

He said he thought that by kneeling, maybe "one protester/rioter who saw it would later think twice about fighting or hurting a cop."

Cattani said he spent the first part of his career working to build a reputation as a good cop and that he "threw that all in the garbage" on May 31.

"I know that it was wrong and something I will be shamed and humiliated about for the rest of my life," he wrote.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/nypd-lieutenant-apologizes-colleagues-kneeling-181157616.html

 

[Morphine Prince 109,683]

"I showed solidarity with black people who don't want to be killed so now I am a bad cop" 

 

 

[Dramatica 13,698]

[Curunir 7,510]

This is so pitiful and embarrassing that I felt secondhand embarrassment 

"I know that it was wrong and something I will be shamed and humiliated about for the rest of my life"

CRINGE

[raragaga 8,119]

[alsemanche 97,808]

[AlexanderMagno 10,746]

It's conflicting. In one hand, he understands that he kneeled not because it was justice, but because he was afraid of what the protesters would do. That alone basically ruins the symbolism of the moment! You are not kneeling because you want to give respect for those who were mistreated, but because you want to avoid protesters to cause more riots. And that is why these protests and riots are going too far, they are creating these situations where you have to act not accordingly to the integrity of the act itself. Riots are not creating awareness, just violence and reaction acts to stop violence.

On the other hand, he considers himself to be a good cop, and by kneeling he felt he was recognising himself as the same as other murderers. You try your whole career to be a good cop, but now you're forced to kneel as if you were the same as the other murderers. I think he could had joined the protesters and fight alongside them, and be a protester himself of the system. But if he did that, he wouldn't know if the protesters would seize the moment and beat him up, or simply do more violence without a cop on their way.

 

Messy situation. I don't see why he had to apologise though, it's much worse decision lol just let it be and continue your work in the best way possible, why make this already complicated situation even more complicated.

[ToxicHot 6,444]

What's funny is how he feels the need to backtrack because now his reputation as an officer is suffering.

To be totally honest, regardless of his apparent "values and principles" he claims to have, he literally kneeled with protesters at an ANTI-POLICE PROTEST. I guess it's only "disrespectful" to other policemen.

(If he really gave a damn about what the people were protesting about he should just retire from the police force entirely - even though I know he just "gave in" to demands rather than actually seeming to care?)

[CameronSpears 2,129]

What a loser. This is why you are all garbage cops and **** humans.

[xoxo Craig 55,649]

37 minutes ago, Morphine Prince said:

"I showed solidarity with black people who don't want to be killed so now I am a bad cop" 

 

 

This statement tells a lot about the US police force 

[Chromatislaps 34,854]

[Arturo 40,746]

Boo hoo

[CautiousLurker 19,709]

I try not to shame people for being overly sensitive but this is pathetic 

He might have as well not knelt since at this point people know very well how empty and disingenuous that act is... but hey, if it was that traumatizing for him, might I suggest resignation 

[Sepsami 20,978]

Men and their huge egos, I wonder how female police officers stand in this issue

[TimisaMonster 31,073]

Just ban all cop involvement...the system has failed and is too corrupt...start over this is so stupid