NYC Mayor Adams apologizes for using racial slur in 2019 video

Mayor Eric Adams has apologized after a controversial video of him using a racial slur during a talk on policing in 2019 resurfaced.

The video shows Adams speaking to a crowd at the Harlem Business Alliance about his rise through the ranks of the NYPD.

While speaking, Adams uses a racial slur to refer to the white officers he outperformed.

"Every day in the police department, I kicked those crackers’ a--, man," Adams said in the video reviewed by Fox News Digital. "I was unbelievable in the police department."

Adams apologized for the slur on Friday afternoon during a press conference.

"It's a comment that should not be used, and I apologize not only to those who heard it but to New Yorkers because they should expect more from me, and that was inappropriate," Adams said. 

"Whenever a controversial video of a police officer surfaces online, we ask for fairness instead of a rush to outrage. We will apply the same standard here," New York City PBA President Patrick J. Lynch said in response to the video. "We have spoken with Mayor Adams about this video. We have spent far too many hours together in hospital emergency rooms these past few weeks, and we’ve worked together for decades before that. A few seconds of video will not define our relationship. We have a lot of work to do together to support our members on the streets."

Adams has undergone a tumultuous first month as Mayor of New York City, with two NYPD officers killed in the line of duty last month amid a citywide rise in crime.

Get breaking news alerts in the free FOX5NY News app | Sign up for FOX 5 email newsletters