US News

BOROUGH PARK DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM RUDY

Borough Park residents last night took to the streets shouting their fury at cops and demanding Mayor Giuliani come to their community to explain why the NYPD fired more than a dozen shots to subdue an emotionally disturbed man.

“We want the mayor! We want the mayor!” protesters chanted from behind wooden police barriers at 46th Street and 16th Avenue, in the heart of the Hasidic neighborhood.

Residents passed out fliers criticizing cops and the mayor.

“Don’t even try to fight them,” the fliers said, speaking of the cops. “For the loyal mayor will stick up for the men in blue.”

Early this morning, more than 50 demonstrators marched 12 blocks to the 66th Precinct station house, shouting for the mayor and chanting: “Jewish blood is not cheap! We demand justice!” They left after about an hour.

The mayor traditionally has supported cops – but the Hasidim of Borough Park are among his core constituencies.

An administration source said the mayor had no plans to visit Borough Park overnight, and that he would not comment until he had cleared up the conflicting accounts of the shooting.

“He has confidence in the NYPD’s handling of their investigation,” the source said.

Outraged neighbors insisted that police did not have to kill Gary Busch.

“They could have shot his hand, they could have shot him in the leg, or kicked the weapon out of his hand,” said Mordechai Lefkowitz. “To be shot so many times is crazy. The neighborhood is very angry.”

Another resident, Yehuda Fischer, said “He didn’t stick his hands in his pocket and pull something out. Police were not confused about him. They saw it was only a small hammer.”

Other people in the neighborhood pointed out that cops had been to the area twice before to deal with Busch – and said the officers should have been prepared to handle him without using guns.

“They didn’t need all those bullets,” said a woman who declined to give her name and said she had seen Busch lying in the street, “gushing blood.”

“They didn’t have to kill him.”

A man named Richard, who did not give his last name, said: “The man was obviously distraught. The cops surrounded him with guns drawn and in shooting posture. Then they opened fire. . . It was like a public execution.”

The community’s anger at police and the mayor came as his likely Senate rival actively seeks the Jewish vote. In recent weeks, Hillary Rodham Clinton has said she thinks Jerusalem should be the capital of Israel, and has said she has a Jewish relative.