While police are meant to protect civilians and crack down on crimes, there are many instances where that duty has not been fulfilled. Beyond the widespread issue of police brutality, there is also the matter of negligence. For one New York man, this negligence became all too real when he had the horrible experience of encountering a criminal who physically assaulted him. A police car happened to be nearby, so he approached it and asked the officers for help. Instead of jumping into action, however, the NYPD officers dismissed him, reportedly telling him that it wasn’t their problem, since it “wasn’t their area,” and instructed him to call 911 instead.
The man was understandably shocked and angered. He began questioning them, demanding how such an excuse could possibly make sense. Weren’t they police officers? And since a crime had just occurred, wasn’t it their duty to intervene? His frustration only grew, and he began shouting, loudly recounting what had just happened to other passersby in the area.
As he continued berating them, the two NYPD officers decided to walk into a nearby store. From the way they pulled out their wallets, it appeared that they were perhaps on a break and intended to buy food. The video ended with the man still berating the officers as they stood outside the shop, unmoved by his pleas.
It wasn’t just the New Yorker who was shocked and enraged by the officers’ response. Online reactions poured in. One user wrote bluntly, “This is why everybody hates the police.” Many agreed that the officers’ behavior was completely unsatisfactory, stressing that police should always be ready to help distressed citizens. Viewers were especially disturbed that the officers seemed to prioritize their lunch break over the safety of a man who had just been assaulted.
Another commenter mocked the situation, saying, “She likes the food at that bodega. She gave the dude some cash to get her stuff lol, completely shameless bums.” Others questioned what the NYPD officers would have done if the New York man himself had committed a crime in front of them. Would they simply stand by and insist that someone else handle it?
One frustrated redditor fumed, “‘It’s not our area’ … so call it in, you stupid b****. Yo, I’m all for respecting cops, but cops like this piss me off. We are literally paying their salaries and they still can’t do the bare minimum.”
Others pointed out that even if the officers genuinely believed they could not directly intervene, the least they could have done was use their radios to call over other officers who were able to help. As one user remarked, “‘Call 911’? Funny thing is, both of those cops are wearing walkie talkies which are, believe it or not, a much more direct way to summon cops who will actually help this guy. But these two morons probably called in to take their meal break, which is why they’re not going to deal with him. Gotta get my feed on. They’re assigned to a precinct in the Bronx, according to their car, so I’m not at all surprised they’re especially useless.”
