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The NYPD’s ‘Molotov Topo Chico’ Claims Created A Lot Of Suspicion On Twitter

Protests in NYC over the murder of Jordan Neely got tense last night after a 150 people march was broken up by the NYPD outside of the Broadway-Lafayette subway station in Manhattan. According to ABC7NY, a handful of protestors and journalists were arrested for “unspecified offenses” and left bruised and bloody in the process, with police later reporting that a protestor brought a suspected Molotov cocktail to the march.

In a statement shared by ABC7NY, NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said, “We don’t know what the liquid is as of yet. It has not been tested. You can see the ripped-up rag down there that will facilitate the flame…”

Now, the NYPD News Twitter account has produced a photo of the alleged Molotov cocktail and it looks like the internet — especially Twitter, where the conversation is concentrated — isn’t entirely convinced. The account tweeted a photo of a Topo Chico bottle with a damp… something inside and wrote:

“This is a Molotov cocktail that was found at tonight’s protest.”

Keep in mind it still hasn’t been tested, so this is off to a hell of a start, the tweet continues, “We are committed to ensuring everyone’s right to protest. Violence has no place in civic demonstration. These actions will never be tolerated and anyone bringing weapons on dangerous substances will be arrested.”

Obviously, the NYPD is correct in stating that violence has no place in civic demonstration but the photo is a strange one and Twitter users have added additional context to the post writing, “While these materials could technically be used in the making of a Molotov cocktail, the picture does not show a Molotov cocktail, or provide evidence that one was made.”

A typical Molotov cocktail is made using a glass bottle filled with flammable substances like kerosene, gasoline, alcohol, or potassium chlorate, and uses a cloth wick to ignite the substance, but what the NYPD News account posted raises a lot of questions.

Mainly, why, if someone were to make a Molotov cocktail, why would they use a bottle of Topo Chico? But beyond that, if the NYPD does have this alleged Molotov in its possession, why are they just letting it chill out on a table? Why so close to the bottle of Poland Spring? Why leave a potentially dangerous weapon out in the open at all?

Many on Twitter are reacting to the NYPDNews account for this post with some people suggesting the photo is not of a Molotov cocktail at all but of just some random trash the NYPD stumbled upon.

https://twitter.com/TerceraVenida/status/1655954471002963972

https://twitter.com/a1exnicho1s/status/1655956489339813889

https://twitter.com/daveexmachina/status/1655942324105662464

https://twitter.com/kyliesparks/status/1655938167881760769

I think we can conclude two things: 1. The NYPD, the same police department that once claimed Shake Shack employees were poisoning them because they got a tummy ache from a milkshake is goofy AF. And 2. Topo Chico is the greatest carbonated water ever.

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