Latest news with #WayneLucas
Fox News
3 days ago
- Health
- Fox News
Violent assault on off-duty NYPD rookie uncovers tensions with police safety and force protocols
The brother of 27-year-old New York City Police Department officer Chowdhury Nafees, who was beaten by two men in the Bronx Saturday, told Fox News Digital the suspects in the attack "escalated" their brutality after finding out Nafees was a police officer. That has prompted conversations about use-of-force policies that may prevent law enforcement from protecting themselves. Wayne Lucas, 23, and Taveon Hargrove, 23, were arrested in the assault that left Nafees, who was in uniform on his way home from work, "horribly mutilated." Just before 4 a.m. Saturday, Lucas and Hargrove allegedly forced the off-duty rookie officer to the ground, stomping on his face and causing multiple fractures. They then allegedly held a knife to his throat before forcibly removing his wallet, iPhone and gun and running away. Nafees' partner called the family and told them "something happened," but they remained in the dark until the 45th precinct confirmed he had been rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. Chowdhury Navid, Nafees' brother, told Fox News Digital he and his mother went to the hospital and found Nafees unconscious and bleeding from his eyes. "The left eye was completely, horribly mutilated," Navid said. "There was a bootstrap on his face, which was clear that somebody stomped him very, very violently. You can see the tracks on his face. It was a horrible sight to see my brother, who I love the most, and someone who I always look up to … to be in a place where he's completely helpless." Chowdhury suffered severe head trauma and will need reconstructive surgery. His left orbital bone and right cheekbone were also fractured, among other injuries. Navid recounted his father's reaction when he arrived at the hospital a short time later. "My dad is a very strong man," he said. "I never saw him cry ever in his life. This is the first time I saw him break apart." While the attack appeared to be random, Navid said it "escalated dramatically" when the suspects found out his brother was in law enforcement. "My brother recalled with one of the investigators [that the suspects learned he was a police officer because he was] wearing a vest on top of his uniform," he said. "When they found out, my brother said he heard them saying, 'Ah, s---. This is a cop.' After that, everything escalated." "They absolutely hated it," Navid added. "If they could, they would have killed him." Retired NYPD Det. Robert Garland, who is helping the family raise money for Nafees' recovery, called for justice and challenged the department to be proactive in protecting officers. "In an act like this, justice needs to be served," Garland told Fox News Digital. "What I mean by that is not going to jail for three or five years. This is an attack on a police officer … and, in my eyes, this is an attempted murder. They should be in jail for life, or they should be up against the death penalty. Something like this should never happen again." Law enforcement agencies' use-of-force protocols can also lead to an apathetic attitude toward officers and dissuade them from protecting themselves, according to Garland. "That officer was scared about what he would do, about what his actions would be and how the job — the NYPD — would treat him if he took action," he said. "Those perpetrators had a knife to him," Garland added. "Could you imagine if he shot, if he drew his firearm and said, 'Police don't move,' and shot. By law, he had every right to do that. But he's thinking at that moment, 'Should I do that? Am I going to lose my job? Am I going to be held publicly on trial?' … All those things will absolutely happen, and it's terrible. … Officers should be allowed to uphold the law." The same concerns could affect potential recruits' likelihood of taking the oath of office. "People are afraid to take the job because they're afraid of losing it," Gardland said. "They're afraid of repercussions. They're afraid of being transferred in the middle of the night. "The job needs to change, and that camaraderie needs to come back," he added. "Unions, brotherhoods, everything has to come together and [they all need to] be there for one another. Unless that starts now and really gets tighter, no one's going to want this job. … They have to keep intact that thin blue line." Nafees was released from the hospital Wednesday, though his family said he has a long road to recovery. "His condition has improved dramatically over the last four or five days," Navid said. "I'm really, really grateful to NYPD, [NYC] PBA, the people in the hospital, everybody. … It's a miracle what they were able to pull off. I'm going to be honest with you. If it was not in the United States, he would have been dead." Though Nafees is an educated engineer, Navid said his brother wanted to go back to the field "because that's his passion." "He could choose to make a lot of money just by doing [engineering], but he believes that this country needs more people on the street, serving the communities, way more than there is a need for engineers," Navid said. "He's driven by honor, driven by the necessity of the people," he added. "He's one of those few people who will come [to] the front, and take the risk to do what's right for everybody." As of Friday, Fund the First, a fundraising platform started by Garland, raised just over $20,000 in donations for Nafees' family.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Second man arrested in beating of NYPD officer in the Bronx
Editor's note: The above video aired on May 25, 2025. THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — A second man was arrested for allegedly beating an NYPD officer the same day the cop was released from the hospital, authorities said. Wayne Lucas, 23, was taken into custody in Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, according to the NYPD. His accomplice, Taveon Hargrove, 23, was arrested in Virginia on Tuesday. The charges against the suspects were pending Thursday, police said. More Local News Officer Nafees Chowdhury was wheeled out of Jacobi Medical Center in the Bronx on Wednesday with his family by his side as his fellow officers applauded. Chowdhury replied with a thankful nod to the crowd before NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch greeted his family. 'Come for one of us & you'll have the full force of the NYPD coming for you,' Tisch said in a post on X. Police said the suspects allegedly put a knife up to the officer's throat and stole his gun, iPhone, and wallet on St. Peter's Avenue at around 4 a.m. Saturday. Chowdhury was critically injured after he was stomped in the head, according to Mayor Eric Adams. The 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.' 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 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.
CBS News
5 days ago
- General
- CBS News
NYPD officer badly beaten and robbed in the Bronx released from the hospital. Here's the latest on a second arrest.
NYPD officer brutally attacked in the Bronx released from the hospital NYPD officer brutally attacked in the Bronx released from the hospital NYPD officer brutally attacked in the Bronx released from the hospital The two suspects wanted in the brutal attack of an off-duty New York City police officer in the Bronx are now in police custody. The arrest of Wayne Lucas in Virginia on Wednesday was made not long after 27-year-old Officer Chowdhury Nafees was released after four days at Jacobi Hospital, where he underwent multiple surgeries. The other suspect, Taveon Hargrove, was arrested on Tuesday, also in Virginia, the NYPD announced. The latest on the investigation On Saturday at around 4 a.m., surveillance video captured the moment two suspects viciously attacked Nafees while he was on his way home from work near St. Peter's Avenue in Parkchester. A woman, who works and lives near the site of the attack, shared the video and told CBS News New York what happened to the off-duty officer was "really scary," adding, "He's trying to stand up but he can't. It's horrible." According to police, Lucas, 23, and Hargrove, 23, forced Nafees to the ground, hit him in the face, and held a knife to his throat before stealing his iPhone, wallet, and gun. "They knew he was a New York City police officer and they stomped on [him] consistently and he has a mark on his cheek," said Patrick Hendry, president of the Police Benevolent Association. Officials say a 911 operator guided Nafees to a location where he was found unconscious by four officers. "He truly feels that these four police officers saved his life," Hendry said. Officer Chowdhury Nafees leaves the hospital Family members and dozens of NYPD uniformed officers came together outside the hospital to show their support for Nafees, who in return saluted while leaving via wheelchair with a black eye. "This is a miracle. The first day I saw him he was in bad condition. His eyes, was bleeding through his eyes nonstop," said Ershadur Siddique of the Bangladeshi American Police Association. Nafees was rushed to the hospital with facial fractures and underwent multiple surgeries. The 27-year-old officer, known for his smile, is originally from Bangladesh and started his career as a 911 operator before becoming an officer last September. His friends say he plans to make a comeback with the help of his community. "He just said to pray for him," Siddique said. While the community prays for him, his brothers and sister in blue are pledging justice. "We will make sure these two individuals stay behind bars for a long, long time," Hendry said. A fundraiser on has been set up to help Nafees' family. Their goal is to raise $50,000.
Fox News
5 days ago
- General
- Fox News
NYPD hunts for man accused of beating off-duty cop and stealing his gun, alleged accomplice arrested
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) has arrested one man and is searching for another after the brutal beating of a 27-year-old off-duty officer during a robbery in the Bronx early Saturday. Wayne Lucas, 23, is wanted in connection with the attack. New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed a second suspect, Taveon Hargrove, 23, was arrested in Virginia on Tuesday morning by the U.S. Marshals Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force and NYPD detectives. MEAT CLEAVER-WIELDING MAN STABS YOUNG GIRLS IN BLOODY NYC ATTACK AS 11-YEAR-OLD CALLS 911: POLICEJust before 4 a.m., Hargrove and Lucas allegedly forced the off-duty cop to the ground, hitting his face and causing multiple fractures, according to a news release. They then held a knife to his throat before forcibly removing his wallet and iPhone, according to the release. Police said Hargrove and Lucas took the officer's registered gun and ran away. He was taken by EMS to a local hospital in critical condition. The officer's identity has not yet been released, and his current condition is unknown. NYPD officials confirmed to Fox News Digital he remains in the hospital. "In just the past month, we've seen some heinous attacks on police officers in NYC, including: one with part of his finger bitten off; another with part of his ear bitten off; and this latest vicious assault resulting in severe fractures to an officer's face, among too many others," Tisch wrote in a post on X. "Attack one of our own and you will get the full force of the greatest police department in the world coming for you, just like Taveon Hargrove does now," Tisch added.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Second suspect identified in beating of NYPD officer
Editor's note: The above video aired on May 25, 2025. THE BRONX, N.Y. (PIX11) — Police have identified the second suspect sought for allegedly beating and robbing an NYPD officer over the weekend, officials said. Wayne Lucas, 23, is wanted in connection with the attack on the 27-year-old cop Saturday in the Bronx, according to the NYPD. Taveon Hargrove, 23, was arrested Tuesday. He was taken into custody in Virginia. More Local News Police said the suspects allegedly put a knife up to the officer's throat and stole his gun, iPhone, and wallet on St. Peter's Avenue at around 4 a.m. Saturday. The cop was critically injured after he was stomped in the head, according to Mayor Eric Adams. The officer had just finished an overnight shift and was heading home. Surveillance footage shows the cop, 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.' 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 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). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
