A group of migrants attacked NYPD officers who were attempting to make an arrest outside a Times Square shelter on Tuesday, according to authorities.
At about 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, officers from the NYPD’s Midtown South Precinct — two officers and a lieutenant— approached the gathering of men outside a migrant shelter on W. 42nd St. near Seventh Ave.
The police were attempting to disperse the rowdy gathering outside the Candler Building, where the city announced the opening of a mega-shelter in March. Several others fought the officers when they tried to place one of the men under custody, according to the officials.
The policemen were kicked and pummeled in the head and body by the suspects, according to police-released footage. During the altercation, the lieutenant sustained a facial cut. He and his coworkers received treatment on the spot.
🎥 WATCH: Two @NYPD officers were recently beaten by migrants and released without bail.@POTUS & @SecMayorkas have turned the American dream into the American nightmare. pic.twitter.com/oUjxjFnmQN
— Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (@RepDesposito) January 31, 2024
At the scene, three men, aged 21, 24, and 19, were taken into custody. Four of the accused were later arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court and then freed without bond. Police are still looking for five more suspects involved in the brawl. According to police sources, they reside in migrant shelters in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan.
“Attacks on police officers are becoming an epidemic, and the reason is the revolving door we’re seeing in cases like this one,” Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association, said in a statement. “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.”
