On Thursday, Westfield Mayor Andy Cook released this statement following the attempted murder of a Westfield Street Department employee Monday night.
Cook
The arrest of a suspect in the assault and attempted murder of a City of Westfield Street Department employee this week shocked and stunned the citizens of our city.
Two of our Street Department employees were involved in an unprovoked attack on Monday afternoon when they were assaulted by a male with a handgun who attempted to discharge the weapon at one of our employees. Fortunately, the gun did not fire.
The victim was then pistol whipped before the suspect left the area shouting racial slurs at the two men.
This incident has left me shaken and angry. This behavior has no place in our society, and it won’t be tolerated in this city. Neither will intolerance and racism. The safety of our employees has always been my priority as mayor and an assault on one is an assault on our city.
I’m grateful for our diverse workforce and the women and men who proudly serve our citizens. They deserve our gratitude and respect, not mistreatment.
I’m relieved that the victim of this vicious attack is recovering and will soon return to work. I also commend Westfield Police for making a swift arrest.
As a city and as a society, we must address the difficult questions as to why this type of behavior is spreading across the country. Are we ignoring mental health issues, or are the consequences of criminal actions no longer a sufficient deterrent? Regardless we must find answers and quickly.
For as long as I am mayor, violence and racism will never find safe harbor in our city.