ST. GEORGE — Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan picked up a pair NYPD union endorsements for his congressional race Tuesday while lauding protesters of the Eric Garner grand jury ruling as "peaceful, organized and well run" at his first press conference since the decision.
The NYPD Captain Endowment Association and the Lieutenants Benevolence Association announced their endorsement of Donovan, who's running against Brooklyn Councilman Vincent Gentile to replace the seat left vacant by Michael Grimm in January.
"We're still the number one target in the country, if not the world," said Lou Turco, president of the LBA. "We have the utmost confidence in Dan Donovan in Congress to go back and bring back the resources we need here to protect this city."
Both union heads said they previously endorsed Gentile, a Democrat, in his bids for the City Council but chose Donovan, a Republican, as their pick to represent the 11th District, which covers Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn.
Aside from the endorsements, Donovan commended the protesters and police who took to the streets of Staten Island and the city to protest the decision of the grand jury not to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo for Garner's death.
"I think people should be allowed to march and protest something that they don’t agree on and something they do agree with," Donovan said. "The marches that took place on Staten Island, some people thought were chaos, I thought they were peaceful, organized and well-run.
Donovan also said he would continue to support federal funding of the Department of Homeland Security and bills that provide assistance to victims of 9/11 if elected.
"Now our government is telling [first responders] that we're not going to fund the health care for those brave people and give benefits for those who died because of diseases that they contracted at Ground Zero," Donovan said. "I think that's a disgrace, and I'm going not only to support them, but to support those bills that will help care for those that are still suffering."
Donovan will face off against Gentile on May 5 for the congressional seat Grimm resigned from in January after pleading guilty to tax fraud.
