Embattled New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio came under a mysterious aerial assault on Friday morning as his bitter rift with NYPD officers continued to rage.
A plane trailing a banner reading "De Blasio, Our Backs Have Turned to You" passed over the Hudson River in an apparent police attack on the mayor’s handling of racial protests plaguing the city and the execution-style deaths of two officers,
the Daily News reported.
Story continues below photos and tweet.
The blaring sign echoed the gesture of contempt a group of officers made at the hospital where Officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos were taken after they were shot in their police cruiser last weekend.
Ashley Chalmers, head of Jersey Shore Aerial Advertising, told the News that the people who paid for the message "want to remain anonymous."
But former cop John Cardillo claimed on his blog that a "large and unified group of current and retired NYC police officers, detectives, & supervisors" had asked him to post a statement about the banner after the plane had flown in sight of the city.
"We are outraged by the mayor's incendiary rhetoric, and for facilitating the current hostile climate towards the NYPD," the statement said, according to the New York newspaper.
"We understand that the department and even our own unions can only go so far in their public condemnation of the mayor as to not irreparably damage the working relationship with the city, or future contract negotiations."
The statement continued, "It is our opinion that Mayor de Blasio's dangerous and irresponsible comments about his and his wife's concern for their son's safety at the hands of the NYPD fueled the flames that led to civil unrest, and potentially to the deaths of [two officers], as well as the continued threats against NYPD personnel.
"The Mayor shows us no respect, and encourages the public to follow his lead."
De Blasio has been heavily criticized for his comments that failed to support NYPD officers after a grand jury earlier this month cleared police in the chokehold death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner.
The mayor also made a controversial statement to the effect that he was concerned for the safety of his biracial son, Dante, at the hands of the police.
Police reacted by circulating a "Don't Insult My Sacrifice" waiver on the website of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association, banning de Blasio from attending their funerals should they be killed in the line of duty.
The statement on Cardillo’s blog also said, "Mayor de Blasio clearly doesn't understand nor care that every man and woman of the NYPD would give their life to protect his son, his family, and every other resident. Tragically, two of our Finest made that ultimate sacrifice days before Christmas.
"We no longer have confidence in Mayor de Blasio, nor in his ability to lead New York City and promote the values that both the NYPD and the good law abiding citizens of the city hold dear. Mayor de Blasio turned his back on us long before we turned our backs on him."