United States Attorney Slams DA for "Culture of Disrespect" Against Police

The U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Thursday slammed Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner for creating a "culture of disrespect" that he believes led to the shooting of six Philadelphia police officers on Wednesday.

U.S. Attorney William McSwain said in a statement , "There is a new culture of disrespect for law enforcement in this City that is promoted and championed by District Attorney Larry Krasner—and I am fed up with it."

Related: Multiple Officers Wounded, 1 Critical in North Philadelphia Shooting

"We've now endured over a year and a half of the worst kinds of slander against law enforcement—the DA routinely calls police and prosecutors corrupt and racist, even 'war criminals' that he compares to Nazis," he wrote.

The statement continued, "The alleged shooter last night, Maurice Hill, is a previously convicted felon with a long rap sheet .  We have plenty of criminal laws in this City – but what we don’t have is robust enforcement by the District Attorney.  Instead, among other things, we have diversionary programs for gun offenses, the routine downgrading of charges for violent crime, and entire sections of the criminal code that are ignored."

Related: Suspected Philadelphia Cop Shooter Has Extensive and Violent Criminal Record

McSwain argued that criminal laws in Philadelphia—and especially the existing gun laws and drug laws—should be aggressively enforced in order to protect the public and the police, but that instead, the District Attorney continue making excuses for criminals.

"It is time to support law enforcement and to put the good people of this city first," McSwain said.