Mayor, Wife Continue To Voice Support For Bratton Ahead Of First Deputy Pick
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton will end the soap opera over the abrupt resignation of Chief Philip Banks III with the announcement of his new first deputy commissioner on Wednesday.
But in the meantime, Mayor Bill de Blasio and his first lady are reassuring the public that the embattled top cop is their kind of guy, CBS2's Marcia Kramer reported.
"I didn't say those things. We didn't have a conversation, and I didn't even think those things," Chirlane McCray said on Tuesday.
McCray has adamantly denied reports she was so furious at Bratton over Banks' resignation on Friday that she told the mayor "I told you we couldn't trust him." Instead, McCray said she's resigned to the loss of Banks.
"It's too bad that things didn't work out the way they were supposed to, but we move on," she said.
The mayor also had words of support for Bratton on Tuesday.
"I am very confident in his judgement on a host of matters," he said.
On Sunday, de Blasio and Bratton held a news conference to bash the reports that there was a rift and to present a united front.
Bratton's short list of candidates to replace Banks as first deputy commissioner includes Chief of Brooklyn North Gerald Nelson and Chief of Training Benjamin Tucker, Kramer reported.
Tucker was hand-picked by Bratton to develop new training initiatives in the wake of the Eric Garner chokehold case.
There has also been speculation about whether Rev. Al Sharpton would have input into the decision. But again, de Blasio sought to bolster Bratton, saying the pick is his to make.
"He will have a final decision tomorrow and he'll announce it," the mayor said.
Banks resigned in a power struggled with Bratton over just what the first deputy commissioner position would entail, Kramer reported.
Click here to read the full statement from Banks.
Now, Bratton says his new first deputy will have added responsibilities.
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