Susan Sarandon has come under fire after sharing a message to Twitter that seemingly compares cops gathered to pay their respects to slain NYPD officer Jason Rivera to fascists.
In her post on Wednesday, Sarandon shared a tweet by podcaster Danny Haiphong which showed a photo of police officers assembled in the streets in New York City and text that read, "I'm gonna tell my kids this is what fascism looks like."
Over the original tweet appears white writing that states, "So, if all these cops weren't needed for CRIME that day, doesn’t that mean they aren't needed ANY day?"
It was not long before Sarandon received intense backlash for her tweet.
"So totally offensive in SO many ways. PLEASE feel free to NEVER call 911---EVER. My son (LA County Deputy) became a cop following his father's footsteps --who was killed in the line of DUTY...." one of her followers replied.
"Two heroes were ambushed and gunned down while selflessly serving others—and on the day they are being mourned by their brothers and sisters in blue and by the entire city for their sacrifice, this is what you are thinking about? Have you no compassion? Disgraceful," another Twitter user wrote.
"You seriously need help. Let’s hope you never need us," a third added.
"Don't bother calling the police next time you need help. Apparently you can afford your own private security and don't seem to care about an officer who gave his life trying to safe a domestic violence sufferer," another follower responded.
Rivera, 22, and Wilbert Mora, 27, were both shot on Jan. 21 after responding to a report of a domestic violence incident in Harlem. The suspect, 47-year-old Lashawn McNeil, opened fire on the officers as they tried to talk to him, police said.
Rivera died that same day, but Mora lived for two more days while doctors tried to remove the bullet lodged in his brain. McNeil died from his police-inflicted wounds.
Police lined Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue on Thursday as the hearse carried Rivera's remains to the St. Patrick's Cathedral from a funeral home in the Bronx’s Riverdale.
At his funeral on Friday, Rivera's widow, Dominique Luzuriaga, called out Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg for not keeping the city safe. Luzuriaga shared her message during the funeral service while speaking to her late husband.
"You have the whole nation on gridlock," Luzuriaga said, according to the Daily Caller. "And although you won't be here anymore, I want you to live through me.
"We are not safe anymore, not even the members of the service," she continued. "I know you were tired of these new laws, especially the ones from the new DA. I hope he's watching you speak through me right now," she said, followed by thunderous applause and a standing ovation.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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