Trump Endorses Police Brutality During MS-13 Talk On Long Island

BRENTWOOD, NY — President Donald Trump incited fury Friday after he seemingly promoted police brutality during his speech on eradicating MS-13 on Long Island.

Several Suffolk Police officers can be seen smiling and clapping behind the president as he urges police officers to be rough with those in police custody.

"And when you see these towns and when you see these thugs being thrown into the back of a paddy wagon -- you just see them thrown in, rough — I said, please don’t be too nice," Trump said.

The crowd laughed.

"Like when you guys put somebody in the car and you're protecting their head, you know, the way you put their hand over? Like, don’t hit their head and they've just killed somebody — don't hit their head. I said, 'You can take the hand away, okay?'" Trump said.

The president's comments unleashed a firestorm on social media.

"This is vile, and shame on every officer who cheered and whooped," Chris Hayes, a host on MSNBC, tweeted.

Geoffrey Sorensen, 30, of Huntington, told Patch that "could not believe that the president would tell police that it's OK to engage in police brutality.

"Even worse, our SCPD officers cheered in approval," Sorensen said. "SCPD should condemn police brutality, the president's words, and their officers' approval immediately. I'm all for bringing justice to gang members and murderers but intentionally banging suspects' heads on police cars is illegal. Democracy dies in darkness."

Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-Shirley, was asked about the president's comments on Hayes's show Friday night.

The Suffolk County Police Department released the following statement in response Trump's comments:

"The Suffolk County Police Department has strict rules and procedures relating to the handling of prisoners, and violations of those rules and procedures are treated extremely seriously. As a department, we do not and will not tolerate roughing up prisoners."

The issue of brutality has been raised in recent years: former Suffolk County Police Chief James Burke was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison in 2016 for assault and obstruction of justice.

Burke, of St. James, was convicted of assaulting Smithtown resident Christopher Loeb, who was arrested for stealing a duffel bag with items from Burke's SCPD-issued SUV as well as other police vehicle in 2012, while he was handcuffed and chained to an eyebolt fastened to the floor at the Fourth Precinct.

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