A Brooklyn man who delivered a threat to New Yorkers during a live interview with Fox News on Saturday has been charged with multiple offenses, including making terroristic threats, police said.
During the live interview Saturday afternoon, a man who identified himself as “Ace Burns” threatened to burn down the Diamond District if New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio did not meet with protesters and give the youth “some direction.”
"Today, I'm giving a demonstration from Barclay's Center at 6 p.m. to City Hall, and that's the first stop -- and we're hoping [Mayor] De Blasio and [Gov.] Cuomo come out and talk to us and give the youth some direction," Burns told Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich.
"But if they don't, then [the] next stop is the Diamond District," he said, referring to a block on Manhattan's 47th Street known for jewelry shops. "And gasoline, thanks to Trump, is awfully cheap. So, we're giving them a chance right now to do the right thing."
Later Saturday, the NYPD said it "identified the man [and] took him in to be interviewed.”
Burns, 34, whose real name is Israel Burns, has been charged with one count each of making terroristic threats, aggravated harassment, and false reporting, NYPD said. He is now at central booking and has not been released.
The protests in New York City come amid others nationwide over the death of George Floyd while in the custody of a white police officer in Minneapolis late last month. The officer, Derek Chauvin, has been arrested and charged with second-degree murder. But the protests have also morphed into violent riots, looting, and clashes with police in New York and around the country.
Fox News’ Sam Dorman contributed to this report.
Author: Bradford Betz