What’s New
The number of police officers and other New York City officials, including Mayor Eric Adams, escorting Luigi Mangione into custody on Thursday is raising eyebrows on social media.
A spokesperson for the Southern District of New York declined to comment when contacted by Newsweek. Newsweek also reached out to the New York City Police Department and Adams’ office via email for comment.
Why It Matters
With a new haircut, Mangione agreed to be extradited to New York from Pennsylvania on Thursday. An unsealed indictment revealed the Ivy League grad, who is accused of fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson on December 4, is now facing federal charges of stalking, murder through use of a firearm and a firearms offense.
Mangione was previously charged with murder as an act of terrorism. He was already facing a second-degree murder charge for Thompson’s shooting. Thursday is Mangione’s first time back in New York after he was arrested and jailed in Pennsylvania on December 9.
AP Photo
What To Know
Video of Mangione arriving in Manhattan from an NYPD helicopter is being criticized on social media as at least two dozen NYPD, FBI agents, and other officials greeted him in lower Manhattan on Thursday.
The NYPD shared photos on X, formerly Twitter, of Mangione boarding a small plane to Long Island on Thursday and the helicopter to Manhattan. The photos were not captioned.
“Luigi Mangione arrives in New York surrounded by a large group of police and the crooked mayor Eric Adams. This is clearly a PR stunt by the state to intimidate those who’ve expressed support for Luigi and quell the rebellion he sparked. It won’t work,” the popular account @ProudSocialist posted on X.
“why are they treating him like a gotham city villain,” @kirawontmiss posted.
John Miller, a former NYPD chief spokesperson and a CNN analyst, said Thursday that high security is usually employed to protect a suspect from attacks, especially in cases involving heinous crimes. However, in Mangione’s case, the concern is the opposite—authorities fear an attempt to rescue him.
“In this case, it’s upside down,” Miller said. “The security around Mangione today is because of what they’re seeing in terms of public support for him. And there are security worries about somebody, not trying to attack him, but trying to free him from law enforcement.”
“Which is why he’s not being brought in a couple of FBI cars or police cars but basically in a secure motorcade. All because they feel their defendant has this unusual, popular support among like-minded individuals,” Miller said.
AP Photo
What People Are Saying
Mayor Eric Adams on X: “Luigi Mangione was brought back to New York City to answer to the charges in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
“Those who bring illegal guns to our city will face justice. I want to thank all the individuals and law enforcement who helped bring this suspect into custody. The NYPD stops at nothing to catch criminals.”
Fabien Levy, deputy mayor for communications for Eric Adams, on X: “Thanks to the good work of the NYPD, Luigi Mangione landed at the Wall Street Heliport in New York City this afternoon and has now been transferred into federal custody where he will be brought to justice.”
Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Mangione’s New York lawyer, told ABC News: “The federal government’s reported decision to pile on top of an already overcharged first-degree murder and state terror case is highly unusual and raises serious constitutional and statutory double jeopardy concerns. We are ready to fight these charges in whatever court they are brought to.”
What Happens Next
Mangione arrived at Daniel Patrick Moynihan Courthouse for his federal arraignment hearing before 3 p.m. on Thursday and was arraigned on four federal charges. He changed out of his orange inmate uniform and into a black sweater over a white shirt and khaki pants.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com