Sgt. John Krupinsky: Police have been demonized for the past two years
Sgt. John Krupinsky (Ret.), with the Connecticut Fraternal Order of Police, joins 'Fox & Friends' after two officers were killed and one was wounded in an apparent ambush.
Retired Connecticut Police Sgt. John Krupinsky spoke out Friday about the harm facing law enforcement officials after two officers were killed in an alleged ambush late Wednesday night.
The two Bristol Police Department officers, Sgt. Dustin Demonte and deputy Alex Hazmy, were shot and killed while responding to a domestic dispute call between two brothers. Police now believe the call was a deliberate act to lure the officers to the scene where the suspects waited with loaded rifles.
A third officer, Alec Iurato, was wounded in the incident but was discharged from the hospital after a surgery to treat a gunshot wound.
DEFUNDING POLICE, VILIFYING THEM ‘AT EVERY TURN’ CONTRIBUTING TO OFFICER SUICIDES, EXPERTS SAY
"This is the state of America at this point," Krupinsky said on "Fox & Friends" Friday.
Slain Bristol police officers Dustin Demonte, left, and Alex Hamzy, Right. (Connecticut State Police) (Connecticut State Police)
Krupinsky told host Brian Kilmeade that police have been demonized in recent years as the "Defund Police" movement grew in prominence.
Joe Imperatrice, founder of Blue Lives Matter in New York City, said on "Fox & Friends First" that the movement is endangering the community as well as the lives of police officers.
"This ‘Defund the Police’ movement is the worst thing ever created," he told host Todd Piro Friday.
Imperatrice said the solution is to elect leaders who support law enforcement, rather than implementing soft-on-crime policies and pushing for bail reform.
Krupinsky echoed the need for pro-police politicians and leaders. He said the majority of officers leaving the force reported feeling a lack of supported from the Biden administration, governors and city mayors.
"Everybody’s quitting and leaving," he said. "We can’t bribe people with $20,000 bonuses to sign up for this job."
Krupinsky said the state’s recent police accountability bill only allowed more criminals to walk free and took away officers' authority.
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"These politicians have stripped us of the most important tool that a police officer has, and it's not on his belt. It's respect," he said.
"When respect is taken away, the public, they do whatever they want to do. And now we're seeing the results of this."
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