New York City police derided Reverend Al Sharpton's apparent influence over Mayor Bill de Blasio by placing his photo on a fake ID card naming him Police Commissioner, the New York Daily News reported.
A photo of the reverend was placed on an NYPD ID card declaring him "Police Commissioner" Alfred C. Sharpton, along with the police department's seal and an expiration date.
The fake ID, which officers shared through email and Twitter, reportedly showed up after Sharpton met with de Blasio and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton- the real one- at City Hall in the wake of the chokehold death of Eric Garner.
Garner's death caused a national outcry after the Daily News obtained a video of the arrest that led to his death on July 17. NYPD officer Daniel Pantaleo placed Garner in what appears to be a chokehold as other officers forced him to the ground. The medical examiner ruled his death a homicide.
Sharpton called out city officials and demanded change to NYPD procedure at the City Hall meeting last week. The civil rights leader told de Blasio that what happened to Garner could happen to his son Dante, who is half black.
"If Dante wasn't your son, he would be a candidate for a chokehold," Sharpton said according to SLive.com.
"I'm tired of seeing people bury their kin," Sharpton said, calling for changes within the department.
Commissioner Bratton laid out plans to retrain all officers of the NYPD, which is 35,000 members strong. Training will also be focused on 20,000 officers that are regularly on the street in order to build respect and trust with the public, SLive.com reported.
Pantaleo was stripped of his gun and badge has been placed on desk duty while prosecutors investigate Garner's death. Chokeholds are banned under NYPD procedure.
Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, told Bratton that a perp walk for Pantaleo would discourage other officers from using the chokehold, the Daily News reported.
