SETBACK TO SOOTHING POLICE-COMMUNITY TENSIONS
Trump's speech in Suffolk came months after former Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD) Chief James Burke was sentenced to 46 months in prison for furiously beating and yelling at a shackled suspect who allegedly stole a bag from Burke's car.
Before the revelation of Burke's scandal, the SCPD was put under federal oversight by the Justice Department, following a federal probe that exposed discrimination against Latinos and immigrants, another indication of the deep-rooted tensions between the police and communities in Suffolk.
The president's comments also resurrected memories of the death of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old Baltimorean whose death sparked protests and riots in the city, and triggered a nationwide debate over excessive use of force by police dealing with cases involving African Americans.
Gray was arrested, shackled and put in the back of a police van by six officers before dying of a spine injury.
"Are you kidding me? This is disgusting," Baltimore County Executive Kevin Kamenetz tweeted about Trump's remarks on handling suspects, as rough policing remains a sensitive topic in the city.
Maya Wiley, chairwoman of New York City's Civilian Complaint Review Board, said Trump's words would stoke fear of interacting with officers, which would damage the progress made toward improving police-community relations.
