Midday News: Charges in Bronx Shooting, Two People Die in NYPD Custody, and a Reflection on the Career of Representative Jerry Nadler

Janae Pierre: Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. Here's the midday news. I'm Janae Pierre. Police say four people are facing charges in connection with a shooting in the Bronx that killed one man and injured four others this week. NYPD officials say two of the suspects got out of a car and started firing onto a sidewalk in Allerton around 7:30 Monday night, killing 24-year-old resident Jamari Henry. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch says the NYPD is sending 1,000 extra officers to the Bronx after a recent spike in high-profile shootings.

Jessica Tisch: My expectation is that those officers are going to quell some of the violence that we've seen over the past two weeks.

Janae Pierre: The four people accused in Monday's shooting are charged with attempted murder, criminal possession of a weapon, and reckless endangerment. Two of them are also charged with manslaughter. Their attorney information was not immediately available. Two men died in NYPD custody in separate instances over the weekend. WNYC's Charles Lane reports both had been arrested for low-level crimes.

Charles Lane: 29-year-old Musa Cetin was arrested in Midtown for unpaid pedicab fines. Police say he was found hanged in his cell and died two days later at Bellevue Hospital. That same day, 46-year-old Christopher Nieves suffered what police called a medical episode at Brooklyn Criminal Court after being arrested for allegedly stealing from a Whole Foods. Legal Aid attorney Arielle Reid says the deaths reflect failed policy.

Arielle Reid: Throw them in jail. Don't actually get at what is causing the underlying behavior in an attempt to solve that.

Charles Lane: Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch has said she's not bringing back broken windows policing, but that more low-level arrests help make New Yorkers feel safer.

Janae Pierre: Stick around. There's more to come.

Speaker: This is NYC Now.

Janae Pierre: Congressmember Jerry Nadler will not seek reelection next year after representing parts of New York City and Washington for more than 30 years. Nadler's decision represents a changing of the guard in Manhattan politics. Here to talk Nadler's legacy is someone who has known him for decades, former City Comptroller and former candidate for mayor, Scott Stringer. Welcome to the show.

Scott Stringer: It's good to be on with you.

Janae Pierre: Happy to have you with us. I know that you worked as Nadler's aide and campaign manager in his run for Congress back in 1992 before succeeding him in the Assembly. What drew you to Nadler as a young up-and-coming politician?

Scott Stringer: One of the great gifts that the Congressman I think will be remembered for was his ability, even 30 years ago, to bring younger people into the political process and nurture them and mentor them. There is a whole group of people. Not just me, but a whole group of people who got their start with Jerry Nadler fighting the political wars on the Upper West Side. He really built a group of progressive-minded people who went on to do some really good things, myself included, and it was really because of his mentorship. I was attracted to him at an early age because he wanted people like me to be part of the political process. I was really grateful to play a role, running his campaign for Congress, working for him, and then working as his colleague.

Janae Pierre: What a wonderful legacy for him to have. Now, as I mentioned, you succeeded Nadler in the assembly in 1992 when he was elected to Congress. Are you interested in running for his seat in Congress?

Scott Stringer: Look, I've had this incredible career as a state legislator, as a borough president, as comptroller, ran for mayor. I think at this moment in time, this seat, which is so special, needs to be somebody who can work the seniority system, meaning someone who is young, somebody who has long-term views and purpose. Look, we got to fight Trump, and we've got to defend Social Security, but I'm not sure in defending Social Security, we need somebody in Congress who is eligible for Social Security.

This is about the retirement security also of our next generation of families, people who are young, coming to the city, making it vibrant. For me, I'm looking for that next-gen candidate who can do what Jerry Nadler did a generation ago. They're out there, and they're going to be talking about running.

Janae Pierre: You're talking about a next-gen candidate. Any names in particular?

Scott Stringer: There's a great article by Tom Allon today in City & State listing all the candidates who could possibly run, and we haven't even figured out the next 10 of them that will be running in the next few months. Look, I'm a fan of Micah Lasher, who, in his time in the assembly, has already taken on Trump and redistricting. There's a lot of other candidates who are also very impressive, young and dynamic, and I think we should give them an opportunity to be heard. I'm not going to endorse anybody until they actually say they're running, but I expect to be involved in this race.

Janae Pierre: It's safe to say that you foresee a crowded race?

Scott Stringer: Hey, this is Manhattan. If it ain't crowded. We did something wrong over 30 years.

Janae Pierre: Most definitely. Nadler said that he reached his decision after seeing the controversy surrounding President Joe Biden's short-lived reelection campaign. You recently lost the Democratic primary to Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani, who's 33 years old. Do you agree politics is in need of a youth movement right now?

Scott Stringer: Look, I don't think you minimize experience and record building because long term, that's going to hurt the next generation. I do think you have to value people who have been in the trenches, who are new and fresh voices. Look at the impact AOC has had, for example, on the body politic, not just in her district, not just in New York City, but across America. Who's she teaming up with? Bernie. Sometimes, a new energy coupled with experience, I think can have an amazing impact in this country. That's exactly what we tried to do when Jerry was running for Congress, when I ran for borough president.

We were the new kids on the block. We were the people who were told to wait our turn, and because of our organizing and our politics and community work, we were able to also get a shot at governing. I think that's important. I think the success of a Mamdani administration will not just be because of youth. It'll be because he attracts himself and surrounds himself with a government of veterans who know how to achieve those goals if he's successful.

Janae Pierre: Our guest has been Scott Stringer. Thanks so much for joining us.

Scott Stringer: Thanks. Good to be on.

Janae Pierre: Thanks for listening. This is NYC Now from WNYC. Check us out for updates every weekday, three times a day, for the latest news headlines and occasional deep dives, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

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