Things may get worse before they get better, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, addressing the unrest in cities across New York state after George Floyd's death
Cuomo said the National Guard is on standby and that 200 state troopers are being sent to Rochester at the request of Mayor Lovely Warren. His top aide, Melissa DeRosa, added that 150 troopers are headed to Buffalo and that they are talking to leaders in Syracuse and Albany about additional support as well.
It was Cuomo's first public remarks about the unrest in almost 24 hours. On Saturday afternoon, the governor said he “figuratively stands with the protesters,” but he remained out of public view after his midday briefing in New Rochelle, despite ato areas in distress. All the while, the situation deteriorated in many parts of the state — including just a few blocks away from the governor’s mansion in Albany. On Sunday, Cuomo sought to give voice to the frustrations of the moment while urging demonstrators to remain peaceful. He dispensed with his usual PowerPoints and extemporaneous speaking style and instead used a teleprompter with prepared notes. He asked New Yorkers to “use this moment, use this energy” to spur positive change, and he condemned the violence that has broken out across the nation, saying it “dishonors” Floyd’s memory. “People are outraged and I understand that; I’m outraged,” Cuomo said. But, he added, “burning down your own house never works, and never makes sense.” Cuomo said he had seen online recordings of New York police officers using force against protesters and that the actions caught on the footage were “truly inexplicable to me.” The governor promised “ramifications” for police officers who crossed the line. “Police are in an impossible situation in many ways, but their behavior is everything,” he said. “I’ve seen those videos and those videos are truly disturbing. Some of the videos are truly inexplicable to me.” However, Cuomo added, the footage may not tell the whole story. He noted that state Attorney General Tish James is leading an investigation into several incidents between police and protesters. “I’m not going to judge it just from what I saw on the video,” he said. “People deserve answers and accountability.”Bill Mahoney and Anna Gronewold contributed to this report.
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