Kudos to this NY cop on his performance. His situation is a reminder to New Yorkers & their political leaders that NYC’s decline in the 70s & 80s began in the subways. The quality-of-life declines & warning signs are all there for it to happen once again. https://t.co/9ElS54V4NMpic.twitter.com/68DKn5NKKX
— Bill Bratton (@CommissBratton) December 25, 2018
Video showing a cop trying to fend off several homeless men inside the East Broadway subway station has gone viral. Over the holiday, most New York City news outlets picked up on the strange story, which unfolded Sunday night in the Lower East Side station.
The video shows the men approaching the officer, who used his baton and feet to keep them away. During the incident, one of them fell onto the tracks. Power was cut in the station while the officer helped get the man to safety. Four of the individuals seen in the video were taken to Beth Israel Hospital for treatment and released.
The officer was identified as Syed Ali. A spokesperson for the Manhattan DA said there were no criminal charges in this case because the NYPD only filed complaints against the men for sleeping in the station — not for going after the officer. The Patrolman’s Benevolent Station has criticized the DA for declining to file charges in the attack.
According to the Daily News, “All five (men) returned to the station after their release. Police sources say vagrants often drink and get high at the section of the East Broadway platform where Ali found them.”
In a Twitter message, the mayor said, “What extraordinary professionalism and bravery by NYPD Officer Syed Ali. Attacking our men and women in uniform won’t ever be tolerated. The NYPD is upping its presence at this station and others to ensure officers have the support they need.”
What extraordinary professionalism and bravery by NYPD Officer Syed Ali. Attacking our men and women in uniform won’t ever be tolerated. The NYPD is upping its presence at this station and others to ensure officers have the support they need. https://t.co/rWEAf48DEk — Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) December 25, 2018
Councilman Chaim Deutsch awarded Officer Ali a citation and asked, “Why were the attackers released? Were they offered mental health treatment and shelter, or are they back out on the streets, free to assault somebody else, or worse? Many unanswered questions.”
UPDATE 12/27/2018 Police announced the arrests of two people in connection with the attack on Officer Ali. 36-year-old Eliseo Alvarez was charged with attempted assault, obstructing governmental administration, rioting, attempted criminal possession of a weapon, and menacing. 27-year-old Juan Nunez was charged with obstructing governmental administration and rioting.
