An Arizona prosecutor refused to extradite a murder suspect to New York City over its lax criminal prosecution policies, and officials are outraged.
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said they are refusing to extradite 26-year-old Raad Almansoori, who is accused of beating to death a woman in a Manhattan hotel.
“I know there’s been discussion about New York wanting to extradite this individual,” Mitchell said Wednesday at a media briefing. “This is not aimed at the New York Police Department at all. I know they did a hard job and they did a good job. But we will not be agreeing to extradition.”
Mitchell went on to specifically criticize the policies of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.
“I’ve instructed my extradition attorneys not to agree to that,” she continued. “We’re gonna keep him here. These are mandatory prison sentences. Having observed the treatment of violent criminals in the New York area by the Manhattan DA there, Alvin Bragg, I think it’s safer to keep him here.”
Almansoori is accused of carjacking and stabbing a woman and also kidnapping and injuring a McDonald’s employee. He is being held without bail in Arizona.
“It is a slap in the face”
Emily Tuttle, a spokesperson for Bragg, pointed out that Arizona had worse crime statistics than New York City.
“It is deeply disturbing that DA Mitchell is playing political games in a murder investigation. In Manhattan, we are serious about New Yorkers’ safety, which is why murders are down 24% and shootings are down 38% since D.A. Bragg took office,” read the statement.
“New York’s murder rate is less than half that of Phoenix, Arizona, because of the hard work of the NYPD and all of our law enforcement partners,” she added. “It is a slap in the face to them and to the victim in our case to refuse to allow us to seek justice and full accountability for a New Yorker’s death.”
Here’s more about the crime feud:
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