Man charged in beating of NYPD officer in the Bronx
Editor's note: The above video aired on May 25, 2025.
THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — One of the men accused of beating and robbing an NYPD officer is facing attempted murder charges, police said.
Wayne Lucas, 23, was charged Thursday with attempted murder of a police officer, attempted robbery, attempted aggravated assault of a police officer, and attempted criminal possession of a weapon, according to the NYPD.
Lucas, a Staten Island resident, was taken into custody in Virginia last week. His arraignment was pending on Thursday.
Lucas's accomplice, Taveon Hargrove, 23, was also arrested in Virginia last week but has still not been extradited to New York City, so he has not been charged yet, police said.
Police said the suspects allegedly put a knife up to Officer Nafees Chowdhury's throat and stole his gun, iPhone, and wallet on St. Peter's Avenue at around 4 a.m. on May 24. Chowdhury was critically injured after he was stomped in the head, according to Mayor Eric Adams.
The 27-year-old officer had just finished an overnight shift and was heading home. Surveillance footage shows Chowdhury, still in uniform, walking at 4:08 a.m. right before being attacked by two masked suspects.
'They approached him—one in front, one in the back—and they caught him off guard,' Adams said. 'One of them stepped on his face in a violent way.'
Chowdhury, who has been a cop for eight months, was released from the hospital last week to a standing ovation from fellow cops and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch.
'Come for one of us & you'll have the full force of the NYPD coming for you,' Tisch said in a post on X.
The officer's brother-in-law, Gazi Hasan, said the family is devastated.
'The family is shocked about the situation,' he said.
Submit tips to police by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), visiting crimestoppers.nypdonline.org, downloading the NYPD Crime Stoppers mobile app, or texting 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. Spanish-speaking callers are asked to dial 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
Mira Wassef is a digital reporter who has covered news and sports in the NYC area for more than a decade. She has been with PIX11 News for two years. See more of her work here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
NYPD cop fires at armed BMW thieves who tried to mow down officers during heist from Queens shop: cops
An NYPD cop opened fire on an armed crew who stole BMWs from a Queens auto repair shop and nearly plowed down the officers who closed in on them Friday morning, cops and sources said. The brazen suspects hopped into the luxury cars and sped off when cops caught them red-handed at the shop on 33rd Avenue near Miller Street in Flushing around 5:30 a.m., police said. They accelerated toward the cops – nearly striking them – prompting one officer to open fire, authorities and sources said. Advertisement 3 The luxury car thieves accelerated toward the responding cops — prompting one to open fire, police said. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock 3 No one appeared to be struck by the gunfire, and the reckless drivers continued on their way, police said. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock No one appeared to have been struck, and the reckless crew continued to speed off, heading north on Miller Street, police said. Advertisement The officers were checked out at a local hospital for ringing in their ears, cops and sources said. 3 Two suspects were later taken into custody, and four BMWs were recovered, sources said. Kyle Mazza/NurPhoto/Shutterstock Two suspects were later taken into custody, and four BMWs allegedly used by the perps were recovered, sources said. Charges were not immediately filed.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
More than 40 'narco-boat' drug smugglers arrested in major police sting
More than 40 people have been arrested after a major drugs raid busted a "narco-boats" gang accused of trafficking cocaine into the EU. The investigation, dubbed Operation Black Shadow, saw police forces from around the world work together to seize nearly 3,800 kilos of cocaine, 69 vehicles and €100,000 (£84,232) in cash. A British national was among the 48 arrested during last Tuesday's raids, the National Crime Agency confirmed to Sky News. The gang used "mother ships" to transport cocaine from South America to the Canary Islands, with 11 speedboats used to ferry the drugs to shore. They even turned an abandoned shipwreck into a refuelling platform for the speedboats and boats, according to Spain's Policia Nacional. The criminal network used a "complex encrypted communications system" to evade police, including the use of satellite terminals, hard-to-trace phones and a coded language. Read more from Sky News: Twenty-nine houses were searched in Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and Lanzarote. "The criminal network specialised in smuggling large quantities of cocaine from South America into Spanish territory using high-speed boats, said an NCA spokesperson to Sky News. "Alongside our international partners, we are relentless in our efforts to tackle drug trafficking across borders, ensuring it's seized before it reaches the UK criminal supply chain."
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Multiple immigration sweeps reported across L.A.: 'They're everywhere'
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents were carrying out a series of immigration sweeps across Southern California on Friday morning, sparking fear and anxiety among immigrant communities. At least one video posted on X show federal agents running after people in the parking lot of the Home Depot in Westlake, not far from downtown Los Angeles. A man recording the video can be heard warning people in Spanish that immigration officials were at the location and to stay away. Los Angeles Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, whose district includes Westlake, said in a written statement that her office has received reports about immigration enforcement operations taking place in her district and other parts of Los Angeles. "These actions are escalating: agents arrive without warning and leave quickly, aware that our communities mobilize fast," she said. "I urge Angelenos to stay alert." The raids are the latest in a string of high-profile immigration enforcement actions over the last week, part of President Trump's promised deportation crackdown. A few days ago, immigration agents raided a popular San Diego restaurant and made arrests, sparking a standoff with outraged residents. Agents also arrested Chinese and Taiwanese nationals at an underground nightclub in the Los Angeles area. Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, a spokesperson for Homeland Security Investigations, a branch of ICE, said federal agents in downtown Los Angeles were executing search warrants related to the harboring of people illegally in the country. No other details were provided, and it wasn't known how many operations were taking place. Another video posted on Instagram shows six federal agents walking near the intersection of Towne Avenue and 10th Street in the Fashion District. Ron Gochez, a member of Unión del Barrio, an independent political organization advocating for immigrant rights and social justice, said his group has been "flooded" with calls about immigration sweeps taking place in Los Angeles and Orange counties. "There were ICE agents at a Home Depot in Cypress, there's ICE agents at Wilshire Boulevard and Union Avenue, a construction site in North Hollywood and in South L.A.," he said in a phone interview. "They're everywhere." This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is made available. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
