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Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Assaults on NYPD officers surge 63% over six years — and experts warn troubling trend won't end soon
Assaults on NYC cops have surged a shocking 63% over the past six years — and police officers and experts warned this week that the trend will continue because of a criminal-friendly justice system that fails to 'deliver any consequences.' There have been 970 assaults on uniformed police officers in the city so far this year, up from the 595 officers attacked at the same point in pre-pandemic 2019, NYPD data show. The number of assaulted cops, which includes all city law enforcement officers, is up 57% so far this year compared to the same span three years ago, and climbed 4% compared to the same period last year, the data show. The stats emerged amid a spate of recent attacks on cops, including: A maniac chomped off the tip of a sergeant's finger, and then went on to sucker-slap an innocent 9-year-old girl in Queens on May 10. Feliz Enrique, 31, walked up to the youngster as she was playing on a Glendale street, asked her name, then smacked her in the face without any warning, Queens DA Melissa Katz alleged. A Times Square officer who was punched in the jaw at 2:40 a.m. on Tuesday while trying to lead the man safely out of traffic. After Aaron Domsky, 21, a Californian, allegedly attacked the officer, he also slapped a 19-year-old woman in the face and drove his elbow into the back of a 35-year-old woman's head, according to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan Criminal Court. NYPD housing officer Chowdhury Nafees, 27, was brutally beaten and robbed by two goons while headed home from work last Saturday in the Bronx, leaving him semi-conscious and with severe facial injuries, including a broken orbital socket. Nafees' younger brother, Chowdhury Navid, said his brother was telling the masked men to just take his belongings during the May 24 attack because he wanted to get through the ordeal. 'He was on his way home … and suddenly these two perpetrators out of nowhere, one with a knife and the other with a gun, they disarmed him and they robbed him,' Navid, 24, told The Post. 'My brother initially didn't want to reveal his identity,' Navid said, adding that Nafees told the robbers to take his wallet and money. 'They saw the uniform and they were like 'Oh, s–t, this is a f—ing cop.'' But that didn't stop them — it made the beatdown even worse, the brother said. 'After that, they assaulted him because he was a cop,' the brother said. 'There was no other reason. He was cooperating so that he could get away without any harm. Their anger toward the police department and the criminal justice system was deep enough for them to continue hurting my brother.' The rookie officer, who joined the NYPD in September, had a knife placed to his throat as he was robbed of his gun, shield and phone on St. Peter's Avenue in Westchester Square, video of the attack showed. One of the goons even kicked Nafees in the face before fleeing. The officer underwent successful surgery on his eye at Jacobi Hospital and was sent home Wednesday, the brother said. 'I don't want this to happen to anybody, not just my brother because he's a police officer,' he said, adding that his family was considering moving away from the city. 'I don't want anyone to face anything like this ever.' Robert Garland, a retired NYPD detective and founder of which is hosting a fundraiser for Nafees, said the men should face an extended prison sentence for assaulting a police officer. 'If they're not brought to proper justice, others will know,' said Garland, adding that other criminals will assume they can do the same. 'They'll think, 'I'm going to go out there and I'm going to beat up a cop,'' he said. ''I'll only go to jail for a few years.'' One of the alleged culprits, Taveon Hargrove, 23, was arrested Tuesday in Virginia, where investigators believe he fled to a family friend's home. Fellow suspect, 23-year-old Wayne Lucas was also nabbed in Virginia — wearing a long wig as a disguise, police said. The revolving-door criminal justice system in the city is leading to the increase in assaults, said retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at Penn State University-Lehigh Valley, Joseph Giacalone. 'You have DAs like Alan Bragg who don't even want to prosecute felony assaults against cops,' he said. 'So where's the deterrence? You have a criminal justice system that's a revolving door and people are getting arrested 40, 50, 60 times. The cops are dealing with people out on the streets who are really bad.' 'I think it actually just gets worse,' he warned. 'I think people have just lost respect for the NYPD.' One retired veteran NYPD detective believes more cops are being assaulted because they're taught to deescalate situations. 'It's always deescalate and never take control, which often emboldens perp and gives them an advantage,' the retired officer said. PBA President Patrick Hendry blamed a lack of fear of assaulting cops on a dearth of consequences. 'When these two vicious criminals found out they were attacking a police officer, they didn't get scared and run away,' he said. 'They beat him even harder. These assault statistics are a product of the same criminal mindset. 'They have no fear because they don't believe the justice system will deliver any consequences.' Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch vowed a swift response to any assaults on police officers. 'Attack one of our own and you will get the full force of the greatest police department in the world coming for you,' she wrote on X.
New York Post
2 days ago
- New York Post
Assaults on NYPD officers surge 63% over six years: data
Assaults on NYC cops have surged a shocking 63% over the past six years — and police officers and experts warned this week that the trend will continue because of a criminal-friendly justice system that fails to 'deliver any consequences.' There have been 970 assaults on uniformed police officers in the city so far this year, up from the 595 officers attacked at the same point in pre-pandemic 2019, NYPD data show. The number of assaulted cops, which includes all city law enforcement officers, is up 57% so far this year compared to the same span three years ago, and climbed 4% compared to the same period last year, the data show. 7 NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch, left, was on hand as Chowdhury Nafees was released from the hospital. @NYPDPC The stats emerged amid a spate of recent attacks on cops, including: A maniac chomped off the tip of a sergeant's finger, and then went on to sucker-slap an innocent 9-year-old girl in Queens on May 10. Feliz Enrique, 31, walked up to the youngster as she was playing on a Glendale street, asked her name, then smacked her in the face without any warning, Queens DA Melissa Katz alleged. A Times Square officer who was punched in the jaw at 2:40 a.m. on Tuesday while trying to lead the man safely out of traffic. After Aaron Domsky, 21, a Californian, allegedly attacked the officer, he also slapped a 19-year-old woman in the face and drove his elbow into the back of a 35-year-old woman's head, according to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan Criminal Court. NYPD housing officer Chowdhury Nafees, 27, was brutally beaten and robbed by two goons while headed home from work last Saturday in the Bronx, leaving him semi-conscious and with severe facial injuries, including a broken orbital socket. 7 Chowdhury Nafees was released from the hospital on Wednesday. Nafees' younger brother, Chowdhury Navid, said his brother was telling the masked men to just take his belongings during the May 24 attack because he wanted to get through the ordeal. 'He was on his way home … and suddenly these two perpetrators out of nowhere, one with a knife and the other with a gun, they disarmed him and they robbed him,' Navid, 24, told The Post. 'My brother initially didn't want to reveal his identity,' Navid said, adding that Nafees told the robbers to take his wallet and money. 'They saw the uniform and they were like 'Oh, s–t, this is a f—ing cop.'' But that didn't stop them — it made the beatdown even worse, the brother said. 7 Nafees told his assailants to take his phone and wallet, but it failed to stop the attack. Christopher Sadowski 'After that, they assaulted him because he was a cop,' the brother said. 'There was no other reason. He was cooperating so that he could get away without any harm. Their anger toward the police department and the criminal justice system was deep enough for them to continue hurting my brother.' The rookie officer, who joined the NYPD in September, had a knife placed to his throat as he was robbed of his gun, shield and phone on St. Peter's Avenue in Westchester Square, video of the attack showed. One of the goons even kicked Nafees in the face before fleeing. The officer underwent successful surgery on his eye at Jacobi Hospital and was sent home Wednesday, the brother said. 7 Statistics show an alarming increase in the number of assaults on police officers. Donna Grace/NY Post Design 'I don't want this to happen to anybody, not just my brother because he's a police officer,' he said, adding that his family was considering moving away from the city. 'I don't want anyone to face anything like this ever.' Robert Garland, a retired NYPD detective and founder of which is hosting a fundraiser for Nafees, said the men should face an extended prison sentence for assaulting a police officer. 'If they're not brought to proper justice, others will know,' said Garland, adding that other criminals will assume they can do the same. 'They'll think, 'I'm going to go out there and I'm going to beat up a cop,'' he said. ''I'll only go to jail for a few years.'' 7 Housing officer Chowdhury Nafees with his brother, Chowdhury Navid, as children. Obtained by the New York Post One of the alleged culprits, Taveon Hargrove, 23, was arrested Tuesday in Virginia, where investigators believe he fled to a family friend's home. Fellow suspect, 23-year-old Wayne Lucas was also nabbed in Virginia — wearing a long wig as a disguise, police said. The revolving-door criminal justice system in the city is leading to the increase in assaults, said retired NYPD sergeant and adjunct professor at Penn State University-Lehigh Valley, Joseph Giacalone. 'You have DAs like Alan Bragg who don't even want to prosecute felony assaults against cops,' he said. 'So where's the deterrence? You have a criminal justice system that's a revolving door and people are getting arrested 40, 50, 60 times. The cops are dealing with people out on the streets who are really bad.' 'I think it actually just gets worse,' he warned. 'I think people have just lost respect for the NYPD.' 7 The officer in Times Square was trying to help in a busy intersection when he was suddenly slugged in the face. Lattina Brown/ X One retired veteran NYPD detective believes more cops are being assaulted because they're taught to deescalate situations. 'It's always deescalate and never take control, which often emboldens perp and gives them an advantage,' the retired officer said. PBA President Patrick Hendry blamed a lack of fear of assaulting cops on a dearth of consequences. 'When these two vicious criminals found out they were attacking a police officer, they didn't get scared and run away,' he said. 'They beat him even harder. These assault statistics are a product of the same criminal mindset. 7 The attack on the officer came after the suspect allegedly slugged a young woman. Queens DA 'They have no fear because they don't believe the justice system will deliver any consequences.' Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch vowed a swift response to any assaults on police officers. 'Attack one of our own and you will get the full force of the greatest police department in the world coming for you,' she wrote on X.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Second man indicted in violent New York kidnapping crypto case
William Duplessie appears in Manhattan Criminal Court as an indictment is prepared to be handed down for his involvement in the Crypto Currency kidnapping, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2025. Jefferson Siegel/Pool via REUTERS William Duplessie appears in Manhattan Criminal Court as an indictment is prepared to be handed down for his involvement in the Crypto Currency kidnapping, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2025. Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS William Duplessie looks on as he appears in Manhattan Criminal Court as an indictment is prepared to be handed down for his involvement in the Crypto Currency kidnapping, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2025. Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS William Duplessie appears in Manhattan Criminal Court as an indictment is prepared to be handed down for his involvement in the Crypto Currency kidnapping, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2025. Jefferson Siegel/Pool via REUTERS NEW YORK - A second man has been indicted in New York after being charged with kidnapping a man for three weeks in Manhattan's upscale SoHo neighborhood, shocking him with electric wires, and dangling him over a staircase to try to get him to give up his bitcoin password, prosecutors said on Friday. A Manhattan grand jury's indictment of William Duplessie, 33, came after he made a brief court appearance earlier on Friday, three days after his arrest. Prosecutors with the Manhattan District Attorney's office say Duplessie and John Woeltz on May 6 took a man's electronics and password and demanded they share his password so they could steal his cryptocurrency. When the man refused to share his password, Duplessie and Woeltz allegedly began a series of brutal beatings over three weeks in a luxury townhouse until the man managed to escape. Woeltz was indicted on Thursday. Neither Duplessie nor Woeltz has yet entered pleas, and their lawyers have declined to comment. Both are due back in court on June 11. Local media have called Woeltz, 37, a cryptocurrency investor and described the alleged victim as an Italian man. Both Woeltz and the alleged victim had ties to a crypto hedge fund in New York, the New York Times reported, citing an internal police report described by a law enforcement official. Woeltz and Duplessie are accused of tying the man's wrists, hitting him on the head with a gun, and threatening to kill his family, according to criminal complaints against the two men filed in court. The alleged incident comes as three cryptocurrency-linked kidnappings or kidnapping attempts have taken place in France so far this year. The rapid rise in the price of bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in recent years has created a new group of wealthy investors, who could be tempting targets for criminals, security experts told Reuters. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
Second man charged in violent New York kidnapping crypto case appears in court
William Duplessie appears in Manhattan Criminal Court as an indictment is prepared to be handed down for his involvement in the Crypto Currency kidnapping, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2025. Jefferson Siegel/Pool via REUTERS William Duplessie appears in Manhattan Criminal Court as an indictment is prepared to be handed down for his involvement in the Crypto Currency kidnapping, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2025. Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS William Duplessie looks on as he appears in Manhattan Criminal Court as an indictment is prepared to be handed down for his involvement in the Crypto Currency kidnapping, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2025. Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS William Duplessie appears in Manhattan Criminal Court as an indictment is prepared to be handed down for his involvement in the Crypto Currency kidnapping, in New York City, U.S. May 30, 2025. Jefferson Siegel/Pool via REUTERS NEW YORK - William Duplessie, one of the two men charged in New York with kidnapping a man for three weeks in Manhattan's upscale SoHo neighborhood, shocking him with electric wires, and dangling him over a staircase to try to get him to give up his Bitcoin password, appeared in court on Friday. In court, a prosecutor with the Manhattan District Attorney's office told Judge Kacie Lallie that Duplessie, 33, has not yet been indicted. His co-defendant, John Woeltz, was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday and is due to be arraigned on June 11, prosecutors said. Duplessie, wearing beige prison garb, was led handcuffed out of the courtroom after the brief hearing ended. Both he and Woeltz, who was arrested on May 23, had been ordered jailed earlier this week. Duplessie was arrested on Tuesday. His lawyer, Sam Talkin, declined to comment after Friday's hearing. Local media have called Woeltz a cryptocurrency investor and described the alleged victim as an Italian man. Both Woeltz and the alleged victim had ties to a crypto hedge fund in New York, the New York Times reported, citing an internal police report described by a law enforcement official. When the man refused to share his password, Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly began a series of brutal beatings over three weeks in a luxury townhouse until the man managed to escape. They tied his wrists, hit him on the head with a gun, and threatened to kill his family, according to the complaints against the two men. Woeltz has been indicted by a grand jury and is due to be arraigned on June 11, prosecutors said on Thursday. Neither Woeltz nor Duplessie has entered pleas. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
3 days ago
- The Star
Man charged in New York with 3-week kidnapping to try to steal Bitcoin
FILE PHOTO: John Woeltz, 37, appears for arraignment in Manhattan Criminal Court after he was arrested for allegedly holding an Italian tourist hostage in an apparent scheme to steal the man's crypto currency fortune in New York City, U.S., May 24, 2025. Curtis Means/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo NEW YORK (Reuters) -A grand jury has indicted a 37-year-old cryptocurrency investor accused of kidnapping a business partner inManhattan's upscale Soho neighborhood for three weeks, shocking him with electric wires, and dangling him over a staircase to try to get him to give up his Bitcoin password, prosecutors said on Wednesday. John Woeltz was arrested on May 23, court records show. According to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan criminal court, an unnamed man told New York City police that Woeltz and another man, William Duplessie, on May 6 took his electronic devices and passport demanded he give up his password so they could steal his cryptocurrency. Woeltz and Duplessie, 33, have not yet entered pleas. Their lawyers declined to comment. Local media have called Woeltz a cryptocurrency investor and described the alleged victim as an Italian man. Both had ties to a crypto hedge fund in New York, the New York Times reported, citing an internal police report described by a law enforcement official. When the man refused to share his password, Woeltz and Duplessie allegedly began a series of brutal beatings until the man managed to escape weeks later. They tied his wrists, hit him on the head with a gun, and threatened to kill his family, according to the complaints against the two men. Duplessie was arrested on Tuesday and is due in court for a preliminary hearing on Friday. Judges have ordered both men detained. Woeltz is due to be arraigned on June 11. (Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; Editing by Alistair Bell)
