NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) – A group of men ganged up on two NYPD officers, punching and kicking them outside a migrant shelter in Times Square, chaotic video shows as the search for multiple suspects continued Wednesday.
The officers were trying to disperse a “disorderly group” in front of 220 West 42nd St. around 8:30 p.m. Saturday when a physical altercation ensued and police tried to place a man in custody.
That’s when the group of about eight men circled the officers, pummeling and stomping on them as they struggled with the initial man on the ground.
The two officers—a lieutenant and a cop from the Midtown South Precinct—suffered minor injuries, including cuts to their face, and were treated at the scene.
By Wednesday, police said five arrests had been made in the attack, though they were still searching for several more suspects.
The at-large attackers fled on foot and were last seen headed eastbound on West 42nd Street toward Seventh Avenue, police said.
Those arrested included Yorman Reveron, 24, of Brooklyn; Darwin Andres Gomez-Izquiel, 19, of Mississippi; Wilson Juarez, 21, of Queens; and Kelvin Servita Arocha, 19, of Brooklyn.
They were all charged with assault on a police officer, gang assault, obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct.
Also arrested was Jhoan Boada, 22, who police described as homeless. He was charged with attempted assault on a police officer and gang assault.
All of the men were released without bail following an arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court, police said.
Sources said the nabbed suspects are from various shelters across the city and that they had gathered in Times Square. Some of the accused have been cited by police for grand larceny and other crimes, according to the sources, who said one was wanted on an outstanding warrant and another was linked to a robbery pattern.
NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell told reporters Wednesday that he was infuriated by what he saw on the video.
“You saw the video—reprehensible, cowards. You have eight people attacking a lieutenant and a cop, running up to them, trying to kick them in the face and kicking them in the face,” Chell said, adding the arrested men “should be sitting at Rikers right now on bail, should be indicted this week and taken off our streets.”
“You want to know why our cops are getting assaulted?” the chief said. “There’s no consequences. And we must change this. End of story.”
Patrick Hendry, the president of the Police Benevolent Association, the NYPD’s largest union, said such attacks are increasing.
“Attacks on police officers are becoming an epidemic, and the reason is a revolving door we’re seeing in cases like this one,” Hendry said. “It is impossible for police officers to deal effectively with crime and disorder if the justice system can’t or won’t protect us while we do that work.”
Word of the attack came the same day Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg indicted three men in the fatal stabbing of a 24-year-old man at the Randall's Island migrant shelter. The men were charged with first-degree manslaughter and first-degree gang assault in the Jan. 6, 2024, killing of Dafren Canizalez, who was chased, stabbed and beaten in the shelter cafeteria.