New York City, NY - Mayor Rips Mob Scene, Denies Racial Slur Claim

New York City, NY - Mayor Bloomberg blasted the mobs who taunted cops and ignited fires in Brooklyn - even as a councilman claimed the city's highest ranking uniformed cop slurred the Jewish crowd during the chaos.

"Running into the streets and throwing things, burning things and putting other people's life at risk is not an appropriate behavior," Bloomberg said of the throngs who ran wild in Borough Park on Tuesday night.
The crowd, mostly clad in traditional black Hasidic garb, set fires and shattered the windows of a police car as false rumors spread about the police treatment of 75-year-old Arthur Schick after a traffic stop arrest.

Cops in riot gear swarmed the area around 16th Ave. and 47th St. after 6:30 p.m., holding back demonstrators while arresting three people, including a man who allegedly kicked a cop.
"From what I can tell, the Police Department acted appropriately," Bloomberg said.
But City Councilman Simcha Felder charged that during the protests he heard Chief of the Department Joseph Esposito yell to other cops: "Get the .... Jews out of here! I want to see heads rolling!"
Felder called the chief a "bigot," saying he "should be fired."
Esposito admitted using "inappropriate language," according to Deputy Police Commissioner Paul Browne. But Browne said Esposito told cops simply "get these .... people out of here." Esposito, who is respected by many Jewish leaders, did not apologize and will not be disciplined, Browne said.
Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly stood behind Esposito. After Kelly consulted with several Jewish leaders, the group commended cops for their restraint and blamed the chaos on bands of youth, out of school for the coming Passover holiday.
Bloomberg and Kelly rejected critics' suggestions cops would have acted differently if similar unrest erupted in black or Hispanic neighborhoods.
But Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn), who is often critical of police, countered, "If that was in a black community there would have been mass arrests and there would have been mass butt-whipping."
Along with Schick, cops arrested Chaim Appel, 37, and Chaim Gillig, 18.Officials said Appel tried to trip a cop.
But Appel's attorney said his client accidentally got caught in the protest and was beaten by police. Appel said he suffered a black eye and part of his long beard was ripped from his chin.
"The cops were kind of brutal," Appel said after being released on $3,000 bail.
Several cops in the 66th Precinct said they were told to "show restraint" Tuesday - and not to issue traffic summonses in the area to avoid further problems.