Man slapped NYPD shield from off-duty Queens cop's hand before attacking him: prosecutors
A 23-year-old man accused of attacking an off-duty cop in Queens smacked the NYPD shield out of the officer's hand before jumping him, prosecutors said Thursday.
Police Officer Juan Guzman was sitting on a park bench near 81st St. and Northern Blvd. in Jackson Heights around 4:20 a.m. Saturday when he saw suspect William Garzon try to force a woman into a car, cops said.
When he heard the woman scream, Guzman, 29, pulled out his shield and approached the pair, who were also accompanied by another man and woman.
'I don't think she wants to go with you,' Guzman told Garzon, according to court papers, after identifying himself as a police officer. 'Stop dragging the female into the car.'
Outraged, Garzon slapped the shield out of the cop's hand and 'pushed him to the ground,' Queens prosecutors said. He and the other man are accused of then kicking the cop in the chest and punching him in the head.
One of the two men put the cop in a headlock from behind, causing the cop to lose consciousness.
When the cop revived, his attackers were gone, having fled the scene in a gray 2017 Ford Mustang, cops said.
EMS transported the officer, who sustained multiple bruises over his body, to Elmhurst Hospital where he was treated and released.
Investigators managed to track down images of the two suspects and shared them with the public, seeking tips about their identity.
Garzon surrendered to police Wednesday morning and was charged with assault. Judge Sharifa Nasser-Cuellar ordered him held on $10,000 bail.
His accomplice, described as Hispanic and sporting tattoos on both arms, glasses and a beard, remained on the loose Wednesday.
Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is urged to call NYPD Crime Stoppers at (800) 577-TIPS. All calls will be kept confidential.
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