President Obama offers condolences, support to NYPD commissioner

President Obama on Sunday called the commissioner of the New York Police Department to express his condolences over the killing of two police officers and pledge support in the coming weeks.

{mosads}“In their conversation, the president reiterated his call for the American people to reject violence and words that harm, and turn to words that heal – prayer, patient dialogue, and sympathy for the friends and family of the fallen,” White House spokesman Eric Schultz said.

Obama said his aides would continue to monitor the situation, and that administration officials planned to work with leaders across the country to “echo” his message of nonviolence and calmed rhetoric.

The call came as some Republican political figures were criticizing the president and his attorney general, Eric Holder, in the aftermath of the killings.

The two officers, Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu, were shot repeatedly while sitting in their police car by 28-year-old Ismaaiyl Brinsley, who subsequently shot and killed himself at a nearby subway station.

Before the assassination-style murders, Brinsley reportedly posted a series of messages to his Instagram account with anti-police sentiments and referencing the high-profile deaths of African-Americans Michael Brown and Eric Garner. Both Brown and Garner were killed in interactions with the police, and a series of nationwide protests erupted after grand juries decided not to bring charges against the officers in either case.

Obama and Holder have expressed support for the demonstrations, and announced a series of new initiatives designed to improve relations between communities and their police forces in recent weeks.

But Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) accused Obama of “cop bashing” in a interview Sunday with Fox News.

“This is an absolute tragedy, what occurred in New York, and it’s really time for our national leaders, the president, it’s time for the mayor of New York, and really for many in the media to stop the cop bashing, to stop this anti-police rhetoric,” the congressman said.

“I mean, for the last four months, we’ve basically heard nothing other than the cops are guilty, presumed cops are guilty, then the grand jury says they’re not going to be indicted. People demonstrate, march in the streets, and it’s so slanted.”

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R), also appearing on Fox News, bemoaned “four months of propaganda starting with the president that everybody should hate the police.”

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said that the “tone” Democratic politicians were “setting around the rhetoric regarding the cops incites crazy people,” and said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) had “probably undercut his cops.” Former New York Gov. George Pataki (R) said the killings were the “predictable outcome of divisive anti-cop rhetoric” of de Blasio and Holder.

Schultz said late Sunday that Obama also called Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey, the co-chairman of the president’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, to ask him to help spread the president’s message.

“On the call, the president reiterated his profound respect and gratitude for all law enforcement officers who serve and protect our communities, risking their own safety for ours everyday,” Schultz said.

— This report was updated at 9:54 p.m.