The Protracted Conflict: What Language Do You Speak?

On the night of May 21 two New York City policemen, Joseph Piagentini and Waverley Jones, drove their patrol car to Colonial Park Houses in Harlem, and went in to check a “routine call” from “a woman resident” (my quotations are from the New York Times coverage). When the two policemen came out of the building to re-enter their car, they were shot in the back, and killed. At least a half dozen witnesses were present. “The police described the suspects as two young black men. . . . The service revolvers of the two policemen were reportedly stolen after the shooting.” Later that night letters were delivered to the Times and Harlem radio station WLIB stating that the shootings had been done “by oppressed third world people.” Accompanying the letters were license plates of a car being sought by the police in connection with the shootings.

In one of his public statements Police Commissioner Patrick Murphy referred to this incident as “brutal, cold-blooded murder.” In another he declared it “the work of madmen.” This latter characterization was repeated by District Attorney Eugene Gold, who spoke of “madmen shooting policemen in the streets of our city.” A massive manhunt was immediately undertaken, but has not been successful up to the time (June 1) I am writing.

JB

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James Burnham

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On the night of May 21 two New York City policemen, Joseph Piagentini and Waverley Jones, drove their patrol car to Colonial Park Houses in Harlem, and went in to check a “routine call” from “a woman resident” (my quotations are from the New York Times coverage). When the two policemen came out of the building to re-enter their car, they were shot in the back, and killed. At least a half dozen witnesses were present. “The police described the suspects as two young black men. . . . The service revolvers of the two policemen were reportedly stolen after the shooting.” Later that night letters were delivered to the Times and Harlem radio station WLIB stating that the shootings had been done “by oppressed third world people.” Accompanying the letters were license plates of a car being sought by the police in connection with the shootings.

In one of his public statements Police Commissioner Patrick Murphy referred to this incident as “brutal, cold-blooded murder.” In another he declared it “the work of madmen.” This latter characterization was repeated by District Attorney Eugene Gold, who spoke of “madmen shooting policemen in the streets of our city.” A massive manhunt was immediately undertaken, but has not been successful up to the time (June 1) I am writing.