Luigi Mangione: Congressman Issues Warning About New York Perp Walk

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What's New

Representative Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, issued a warning on Friday about the police escort of Luigi Mangione, the suspected assassin of United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, saying that elevating Mangione to "mythical status" will "deepen his delusions of grandeur."

Newsweek has reached out to Torres' office and the New York City Police Department (NYPD) via email for comment.

Why It Matters

Torres' remarks come after reactions to Thompson's death and Mangione's arrest suggest that a significant segment of the American public may be supportive of the suspect, with many across the country having come to view Mangione as a sort of folk hero—expressing their outrage and frustration with the nation's private health insurance industry.

What To Know

With a new haircut, Mangione agreed to be extradited to New York from Pennsylvania on Thursday. An unsealed indictment revealed the Ivy League grad, who is accused of fatally shooting Thompson on December 4 in New York City, is now facing federal charges of stalking, murder through use of a firearm and a firearms offense.

Mangione is already facing New York state charges of first-degree murder; second-degree murder; first-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism; second-degree murder in furtherance of terrorism and eight weapon possession counts. He has not yet entered a plea on those charges. Thursday was Mangione's first time back in New York after he was arrested at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9. In Pennsylvania, he faces charges of gun possession and carrying false identification. Mangione has pled not guilty to those charges.

He is now in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC).

Mangione was flanked by at least two-dozen NYPD and FBI agents including New York City Mayor Eric Adams, when he landed in New York City to face charges.

In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Torres questioned the amount of police presence and warned that elevating Mangione to "mythical status" will "deepen his delusions of grandeur."

"The dramatic perp walk of Luigi Mangione, accompanied by a heavily armed police presence, strikes me as law enforcement theater. Why the need for so much spectacle at so much taxpayer expense?" the congressman wrote. "The criminal justice system should treat Luigi Mangione as it would any assassin. Elevating Mangione to a mythical status only serves to deepen his delusions of grandeur."

What People Are Saying

Adams told reporter Dan Mannarino on Friday that he wanted to prove with his presence that New York City is "leading from the front," and that Mangione could not "just come into our city."

He continued: "Luigi Mangione was brought back to New York City to answer to the charges in the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Those who bring illegal guns to our city will face justice. I want to thank all the individuals and law enforcement who helped bring this suspect into custody. The NYPD stops at nothing to catch criminals."

John Miller, a former NYPD chief spokesperson and a CNN analyst, said Thursday that high security is usually employed to protect a suspect from attacks, especially in cases involving heinous crimes. However, in Mangione's case, the concern is the opposite—authorities fear an attempt to rescue him.

"In this case, it's upside down," he said. "The security around Mangione today is because of what they're seeing in terms of public support for him. And there are security worries about somebody, not trying to attack him, but trying to free him from law enforcement."

Miller added: "Which is why he's not being brought in a couple of FBI cars or police cars but basically in a secure motorcade. All because they feel their defendant has this unusual, popular support among like-minded individuals."