MANHATTAN, New York (WABC) — In the wake of the Manhattan grand jury’s indictment of former President Donald Trump, all NYPD officers were deployed across the city in uniform Friday, police sources told ABC News.
Barriers and blast protectors have been in front of Trump Tower for a week and on Friday all 35,000 members of the NYPD were required to show up.
It comes amid word that Trump is expected to travel to New York on Monday, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.
He is expected to appear in court on Tuesday at the earliest, the sources said, on what is expected to be around two dozen counts – including felonies. The exact charges are unknown since the indictment will not be unsealed until Trump appears in court.
Trump Tower was once again the center of attention, but the only unruly behavior in Midtown Friday night was messages scribbled on the sidewalk reminding passersby of the Capitol police officer killed on January 6.
The NYPD has been gearing up in preparation for any unrest.
“They don’t have a playbook they can pull out and go, ‘oh ex-president indicted we’re going to do A, B, C, and D,'” ABC News contributor Rich Frankel said. “This is going to be something completely new.”
Frankel spent a career in federal and state law enforcement, and even he said he has no clue how things will play out in Manhattan when the former president surrenders for his arraignment, likely next week, to his likely release on his own recognizance.
The NYPD, US Secret Service, US Marshals and New York State Court Officers will meet Friday to coordinate next week’s surrender of former President Trump, law enforcement sources told ABC News.
Representatives from the agencies will also conduct a walk through of the criminal courts building, known colloquially by its address, 100 Centre Street.
The 15th floor is already blocked off. That is where Judge Juan Merchan’s courtroom is located. He is the judge presiding over the case. Merchan also presided over the criminal case involving Steve Bannon and he presided over the trial of the Trump Organization, which ended in a conviction.
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Then there’s the question of what life around Trump Tower will look like while he sits through a trial amid the potential for mass protests and even attacks by his supporters on the courts downtown.
“This is going to cause a logistical nightmare for the city because of the protests and because this is going to have to keep him not contained but protected,” Frankel said. “I’m sure the FBI is working on any threats they’re going to look at any intelligence coming in towards the president and threatening everybody else.”
The former president himself, on social media, has warned of potential “death and destruction” if charged.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg already received a death threat saying, “Alvin I am going to kill you!” along with a white powder, which was mailed to his officer and later deemed harmless.
All of that was before the grand jury’s vote to indict Trump.
Now it’s up to the NYPD to maintain order and safety throughout the city. There are no credible threats, according to the mayor’s office.
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