Eric Adams Explains Why He Joined Luigi Mangione’s Perp Walk: ‘I Wanted to Look Him in the Eye’

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New York Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday provided some clarity on why he joined the perp walk for suspected CEO shooter Luigi Mangione.

Mangione, 26, was transferred from Pennsylvania to New York on Thursday to face new federal charges stemming from the Dec. 4 killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Upon his arrival in New York City, Mangione was escorted by an entourage of dozens of law enforcement officers — some even wearing tactical gear. In the many photos of the perp walk that have since been published, one thing continued to stand out: the mayor of the city just a few steps behind the suspected killer.

After the walk, Adams was asked why he felt compelled to join the police for Mangione’s arrival. He said:

I was at a conference a few days ago with the top CEOs — IBM, Deloitte — it was a room full of CEOs and government officials; and the shooting, the intentional shooting, and the response after, really traumatized the entire industry — not only the CEOs, but the employees. People forget that. And I wanted to send a strong message with the police commissioner that we’re leading from the front. I’m not going to just allow him to come into our city. I wanted to look him in the eye say that, “You carried out this terrorist act in my city,” the city that the people of New York love; and I wanted to be there to show the symbolism of that.

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