NEW YORK (WCBS 880) – The NYPD released surveillance video Friday of four people they’re searching for in connection with the vandalism of a new statue of George Floyd in Brooklyn.
The statue, which was unveiled at Flatbush Junction on the Juneteenth holiday Saturday, was found vandalized on Thursday morning.
Police said four people used spray paint to deface the statue around 3:40 a.m. Thursday.
The bust of the statue was spray-painted black, while a message referencing the white supremacist group Patriot Front was spray-painted in white on the pedestal of the statue, police said.
The NYPD said its Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating.
Floyd’s brother, Terrance Floyd, was among the people in attendance when the statue was unveiled over the weekend.
The six-foot statue by artist Chris Carnabuci was scheduled to be displayed in Flatbush for two to three weeks. It's then going to be moved to Union Square, according to officials.
Floyd was killed by a Minneapolis police officer last May. His murder led to protests nationwide over racism and police brutality. The former officer convicted in his death, Derek Chauvin, was set to be sentenced on Friday.
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said Thursday that the department was preparing for possible protests around the time of Chauvin's sentencing.
Meanwhile, another statue of Floyd was also defaced outside City Hall in Newark, New Jersey.
A Newark police sergeant noticed the 700-pound bronze statue was defaced with graffiti around 6 a.m. Thursday. The face of the statue was painted black and the words “LIFE…LIBERTY AND VICTORY" were written on the torso in white paint along with the website of a white nationalist hate group.
“The defacing of the statue of George Floyd has been a trend around the country,” said Newark Mayor Ras Baraka. “This horrible act is the very reason that this statue needs to remain and be upheld. As this is not just about George Floyd, it's a deliberate effort to push back against and ultimately dismantle systems of hatred, racism, and white supremacy. We celebrate those efforts in Newark, and will continue to do so, despite the ignorance that has reared its ugly head.”
“We are aware of a similar incident in Brooklyn, and are in communication with our federal, state, and county law enforcement partners, as well as the New York City police. It’s disgusting that what was meant to be a symbol of the dignity of all human life would be disfigured by those who espouse hate,” Public Safety Director Brian A. O’Hara said. “I stand in solidarity with Mayor Baraka as we pledge to ensure that the criminals who committed this crime are brought to justice. Hate has no place in our community.”
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams is calling for a federal investigation into both acts of vandalism.
"I am calling for a Federal investigation into this incident in Brooklyn and a similarly destructive act on a statue in Newark, as well as any potential connection to the insurrection at the US Capitol this past January," Adams said. "This city must show zero tolerance against hate of every shade, no matter if it is based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other characteristic.”
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