According to several sources, Mr. McNeil may have been a Moorish sovereign citizen. The New York Times writes:
“Prosecutors in the Manhattan district attorney’s office are investigating Friday’s police shooting, and looking into the origins of the gun, as well as Mr. McNeil’s possible membership in the Sovereign Citizens Movement, an anti-government hate group.”
Interesting use of the word ‘membership.” It is not a group in which a person can become an official member. Instead, typically, it is individual people adopting the ideology, tactics and rhetoric.
The New York Post has more:
“One video he linked to in 2014 espoused the ideology behind “Moorish sovereign citizens,” a group that does not recognize the US government and has been called a hate group. Members of the group were involved in a stand off with police in Massachusetts in July.”
JJ MacNab is really good at finding social media related information on cases. Check out her thread below:
NYPD cop killer’s argument with mother over diet led to fatal clash with police: sources https://t.co/sdpGATzh2G
— JJ MacNab (@jjmacnab) January 23, 2022
NYDN has an update on the case here. That story indicates that he may have been experiencing mental illness.
We’ll learn more hopefully as the investigation continues.