‘Slap In The Face’ To NYPD After Arizona Prosecutor Refuses Extradition For Murder Suspect, Manhattan DA Says

A Republican prosecutor in Arizona is refusing to extradite a man wanted for murder in New York City, claiming Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s lenient bail policies would put others at risk, only weeks after Bragg’s office faced criticism for releasing suspects accused of attacking a police officer.

Raad Almansoori, a 26-year-old suspected of murdering a woman in a Manhattan hotel room on February 8, was arrested by police in Surprise, Arizona, on Sunday after stabbing one woman in a McDonalds and another while trying to steal her car on the road.

After being taken into custody, Almansoori confessed to the stabbings in Arizona and the murder in New York, Surprise Police Chief Benny Piña confirmed at a press conference on Wednesday morning.

However, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell, a Republican prosecutor elected in 2022, announced at the same press conference that her office would refuse to comply with an extradition request from New York, citing Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s “treatment of violent criminals.”