As we previously reported, New York City Mayor Eric Adams (D) appeared before the cameras on Tuesday looking as cool as a cucumber in sunglasses while surrounded by sycophants who lapped up his every word about the supposed greatness of NYC.

At one point, Adams arrogantly proclaimed through fits of laughter that “We have a brand, New York has a brand. And when people see it, it means something. You know when we go there… Kansas doesn’t have a brand. When you go there, OK, you’re from Kansas. But New York has a brand.”

Unfortunately for Adams, that “brand” has increasingly become synonymous with the out-of-control, violent crime that has only gotten worse over the years as the result of successive years of Democrat “leadership” at the city level.

Sadly, two days after Adams stood before the microphone to make his pompous proclamation, a veteran EMT was senselessly stabbed to death in broad daylight on a city street as she was going to get some food:

Emergency Medical Service Lt. Alison Russo-Elling, 61, was on shift at EMS Station 49 in Astoria when she was stabbed multiple times in a “barbaric and completely unprovoked” attack near 20th Avenue and Steinway Street, FDNY Acting Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said in a joint news conference Thursday.

Suspect Peter Zisopoulos, 34, is in custody and has been charged with murder and criminal possession of a weapon. Zisopoulos is expected to be arraigned later Friday in Queens, sources tell Fox News.

The deadly attack happened at approximately 2:15 p.m. while she was walking to get food. She was in uniform and clearly identified as an EMS member.

The deadly attack was caught on surveillance video.

Warning: May be disturbing to some viewers:

New York: Fire Department lieutenant stabbed to death in random attack outside Queens fire station. Alison Russo-Elling, a 24 year FDNY veteran, was on her lunch break. pic.twitter.com/hoP5Ane49c

— Brian Joyce (@brijoyce) September 30, 2022

Here’s an FDNY photo of Russo-Elling, who according to multiple reports was also on the scene after the 9/11 attacks to assist her fellow first responders:

.@NYCMayor Eric Adams and Acting FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh today announced the death of Emergency Medical Service Lieutenant Alison Russo-Elling, a 25-year veteran of the Department. Read more: https://t.co/tAV7sooCKq pic.twitter.com/pgWoWFOndd

— FDNY (@FDNY) September 29, 2022

Needless to say, this is the NYC “brand” Adams doesn’t want people to know about, but as the Russo-Elling murder and other violent attacks that have taken place in the city in just this week alone confirm, the rise in violent crime in the Big Apple is not something that Adams nor his fellow Democrats can simply sweep under the rug.

Though they’d certainly like to, as evidenced by how two local Democrat pols are urging business owners in the area to not report certain crimes to the police:

Two days before a maniac stabbed to death a veteran EMT lieutenant and grandmother in Astoria on Thursday, defund-the-police-promoting Queens Councilwoman Tiffany Caban and Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani released a “public safety” guide discouraging merchants from calling the cops.

The guide from the two Democrats urges small business owners to dial 311, seek mental health services for people with mental illnesses, and engage in “community mediation” instead of calling 911 to summon the police when there is trouble in many cases.

It also advises merchants to “give the person causing harm the chance to correct their behavior” before seeking intervention.

Here’s the so-called “public safety guide,” which understandably was ripped by public safety advocates:

Wanted to share this Public Safety Resources poster @ZohranKMamdani and my offices collaborated on.

We’re distributing them to local businesses, so our neighborhood is equipped with better ways of solving problems than simply summoning police every time a challenge arises. pic.twitter.com/zvpMWDRdeL

— Council Member Tiffany Cabán (D22) (@CabanD22) September 27, 2022

Good grief. Between Adams and all the other “woke” local “leaders,” is there any wonder so many are fleeing the city (and state) for greener pastures?

Our thoughts and prayers are with Russo-Elling’s family and her colleagues at the FDNY.

Flashback: Nancy Pelosi Says She Has No Idea Why Violent Crime Has Spiked and I Have Thoughts