REPUBLICAN CONFERENCE LEAVES CHAMBER DURING APPEARANCE OF CONVICTED COP-KILLER

Conference calls appearance a "moral outrage" and stands in solidarity with law enforcement.

Members of the Monroe County Legislature's Republican Conference briefly left the chamber during Tuesday evening's Full Legislature meeting while Anthony Bottom, now known as Jalil Muntaqim, addressed the Legislature's public forum. Bottom was convicted for his role in the brutal 1971 murders of New York City Police Officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones. He was also later charged in connection with the killing of San Francisco Police Sergeant John Young during an attack on a police station.

The Republican Conference said the decision was made out of respect for the murdered officers and in solidarity with law enforcement. ''While he has the legal right to speak in a public forum, we will not lend our presence to a convicted cop-killer or provide him with the appearance of legitimacy before this body, " said Republican Leader Sean McCabe.

"This is not a matter of politics or policy. It is a matter of basic moral outrage that someone responsible for crimes of this magnitude is now free and arrogant enough to speak in public forum when he should still be behind bars."

"If Bottom chooses to use his undeserved freedom to insert himself into public life rather than quietly living out the rest of his days in obscurity, that is his choice. But it is our responsibility to remind the public that his hands will forever be stained with the blood of the heroes he helped gun down," said Deputy Republican Leader Paul Dondorfer. "Out of respect for the memory of Officers Joseph Piagentini and Waverly Jones of the NYPD and Sergeant John Young of the San Francisco Police Department, and in solidarity with the law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to protect our communities, members of the Republican Conference chose to step out of the chamber during his remarks."

Law enforcement organizations have long voiced similar outrage over Muntaqim's release from prison. The New York City Police Benevolent Association has described him as a "bloody assassin," and former NYCPBA President Patrick J. Lynch called him, "an unrepentant murderer."

''This convicted cop-killer should be in prison, not speaking in public to the County Legislature, " said the Rochester Police Locust Club. "This is yet another example of New York State putting criminals first and continuing to victimize the families of our fallen heroes year after year."

Immediately following the conclusion of his remarks, all Republican Legislators promptly returned to the Legislative Chambers to hear from other members of the public, resulting in no delay to the important business of the County.