VOA慢速英语2014 Man Who Shot NY Police Officers Had Record of Violence, Mental Problems

 

AS IT IS 2014-12-23 Man Who Shot NY Police Officers Had Record of Violence, Mental Problems

A top New York City police official says the man who killed two officers Saturday had a record of violence and mental problems.

Ismayyil Brinsley shot officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos in their police car in the Brooklyn borough¹ of New York City. He then ran into a nearby underground train station and shot and killed himself.

Earlier, Mr. Brinsley had posted anti-police and anti-government messages on the social media website Instagram. He wrote that he was angry about recent decisions by two separate juries² not to charge white police officers in the deaths of two unarmed black men.

Relations between the public and police have worsened since the grand juries’ decisions. There have been numerous protests in the past several weeks against those decisions and about the killing³ of blacks by police.

Sunday night, many of those activists⁴ gathered with police in New York City to mourn and honor the dead officers.

Mr. Brinsley was black. The officers he killed were Asian and Hispanic. 

Police say Mr. Brinsley had attempted suicide⁵ several times.

Robert Boyce is Chief of Detectives for the New York City Police Department. He told reporters that Ismayyil Brinsley’s family said he had a difficult childhood and was often violent. His mother said he was from a Muslim family, but he did not have anti-Western beliefs.

The police official also said Mr. Brinsley had been arrested almost 20 times for crimes including stealing and making threats. He said the man was not close to his family. He said Mr. Brinsley’s mother was afraid of her son and had not seen him in a month.

Ismayyil Brinsley shot and wounded his former girlfriend in Baltimore Maryland, a few hours before the police officers were killed. Baltimore police warned New York City officials that Mr. Brinsley had threatened New York police officers on a social media website. But New York City police Commissioner⁶ William Bratton said his department received the warning too late to stop the attack.

Words in This Story

record – n. an official written document that gives proof of something or tells about past events

borough – n. one of the five main sections of New York City

copy – v.  to do the same thing as (someone)

1 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

2 juries   

n.陪审团( jury的名词复数 )；评判委员会

参考例句：

• Grand juries have enormous powers to investigate wrong-doing by public officials as well as private citizens. 大陪审团拥有极大权力调查政府官员及平民的过失。
• Juries for a state court are drawn from the county in which the court is located. 州法院的陪审员一般从该法院所在的县选取，而联邦法院的陪审员则从整个地区选取，包括许多县。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 suicide   

n.自杀，自毁，自杀性行为

参考例句：

• The number of suicide has increased.自杀案件的数量增加了。
• The death was adjudged a suicide by sleeping pills.该死亡事件被判定为服用安眠药自杀。

6 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。