Biden calls Adams to offer support after police shot in NYC

President Biden phoned New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) late Tuesday to express his condolences after two police officers were shot over the weekend, one fatally.

The call to Adams follows several high-profile violent crimes in New York City and multiple shootings of police officers in recent days.

“President Biden reiterated his admiration for the brave men and women of law enforcement who risk their lives on a daily basis to protect our communities, including the deputy killed in Houston and the officer wounded in Washington, D.C.,” White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters.

“He expressed his firm support for Mayor Adams’s efforts to combat gun violence and violent crime,” Psaki continued. “During the call, the president also reiterated his commitment to serve as a strong federal partner for New York City and other cities grappling with the increase in gun crime we’ve seen over the past two years.”

Biden discussed his administration’s efforts to reduce gun violence, including funding for Department of Justice programs specifically targeting that type of crime.

New York City has seen a string of high-profile crimes in recent days. In addition to the police officers who were shot, a 40-year-old woman was recently killed by an oncoming train after being pushed onto the subway tracks, and a 62-year-old man was injured after being pushed onto the tracks in a separate incident on Sunday.

Adams, a former police officer who campaigned on strengthening public safety, said he plans to reinstitute an anti-gun unit within the department that will be a modified version of plainclothes units.