NYPD chief scolds 'defund the police' lawmaker after she criticized police clearing out Columbia

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Chief John Chell: We cant take action until Columbia puts in writing what they want

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell discusses how the police are responding to the Columbia University anti-Israel protests on The Story.

A high-ranking NYPD chief has ripped a "defund the police" radical New York City lawmaker who he accused of hating the city and being a "colossal disgrace" after she slammed the force for dismantling the anti-Israel protests at Columbia University on Tuesday.

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell on Wednesday responded to a post by socialist City Councilor Tiffany Cabán, who panned the police for arresting students who had illegally occupied an academic hall at the university. Police engaged in an operation to detain those who were self-barricaded inside late Tuesday.

Cabán, who labeled the agitators as "trailblazing leaders and critical thinkers," tore into university and city leadership for unleashing the police on the protesters. 

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NYPD officers in riot gear enter Hamilton Hall through a window Tuesday night at Columbia University, where anti-Israel protesters were barricaded inside. (Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)

"[Tuesday] night's authoritarian conduct by Columbia University administrators and Mayor Adams' NYPD were a colossal disgrace, a horrifying affront to democracy and free speech, and an abject failure of public safety," wrote Cabán.

"Our leaders are teaching students that not only won't their peaceable assembly and petition of government result in a redress of their grievances, in fact it will land them in jail. This is an extremely dangerous lesson to teach and will come back to haunt those teaching it… shame on them."

However, Chell had none of it, and backed up the force by clapping back at Cabán, who only last year called for the police to be "defunded and abolished." She has also co-sponsored legislation that would have abolished the NYPD’s gang database — a police resource tool containing the names of 18,000 alleged gang members — and previously railed against the mayor for bringing the force’s plainclothes police team back on the streets as she said they unfairly target people of color. 

"I started to read this garbage and quickly realized this is coming from a person who hates our city and certainly does not represent the great people of NYC," Chell wrote on the NYPD’s official Chief of Patrol account. 

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NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell ripped New York City Councilor Tiffany Cabán for her comments on how the police handled Columbia University anti-Israel protesters. (Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Daily News via Getty Images)

Chell then went on to spin a portion of Cabán’s statement, writing that he was playing a "word replacement game."

"[Tuesday] night’s criminal conduct by entitled nonaccountable students and the support they receive from Councilmember Tiffany Cabán is a colossal disgrace," Chell railed. 

"A horrifying affront to democracy and proper behavior from people who are not accountable for their behavior. This was an abject failure of how civilized people are expected to behave in society while continually acting like a perpetual victim."

He continued: "Remember everyone, if you want change, seek the change you want be getting involved. Then you know what to do."

Chell’s rant drew swift condemnation from Cabán’s fellow progressives in City Hall who questioned the ethics of Chell using an official account to criticize the lawmaker, who used her personal account to post her statement.

"How is an official government account allowed to speak to another government official in this way?" Councilwoman Nantasha Williams wrote. "Regardless of how you feel and where you stand ideologically, this is dangerous and a gross use of an official government account!"

Another City Councilor, Jen Gutiérrez, wrote that Chell’s comments "incite violence" while Cabán has "always focused on solutions rooted in peace and justice and the chief’s focus always seems to be the opposite."

New York City Councilor Tiffany Cabán panned the police for arresting students who had illegally occupied an academic hall at Columbia University. (Reuters/Jeenah Moon)

In the midst of the controversy, Chell's post was deleted from X although a spokesperson says it was taken down in error.

"NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell directed one of his assistants to pin his post," the spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "His directive was misinterpreted, and the post was deleted in error. Chief Chell stands by all the information contained in that post."

Cabán did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

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In the past, Cabán has advocated for a radical shift in how the city operates law enforcement. 

She has often called for mental health workers to tend to domestic disturbances while also promoting restorative justice programming for youths and advised business owners to use alternative ways to confront unhinged people.