An NYPD officer was attacked with a psyllium-like object during a weekend protest across two boroughs, causing a cut so deep that it required two staples, authorities said.
The officer was injured near the end of Saturday night’s demonstration organized by a group called Black Kings New York City, police said. In the demonstration, 25 demonstrators marched from the Barclays Center area to West 145th Street and Bradhurst Avenue in Hamilton Heights.
NYPD Deputy Commissioner Kaz Daughtry on Sunday released photos of the officer’s bloody head wound and the weapon used in the assault, which appears to be psyllium.
“Yesterday evening, the NYPD responded to an illegal protest.” Posted by NYPD officer on X. “After issuing multiple warnings to the demonstrators, officers moved in to disperse the crowd. That’s when one of the officers was hit in the head with an object, causing a deep wound that required two staples. He got a cut. Thankfully, he’ll be okay.”
“The NYPD will always support the First Amendment right to peaceful protest, but will never tolerate unlawful disruption in our city.”
Daughtry said in a subsequent post that no one had been arrested in connection with the attack on the officer by Monday, and that the officer was recovering at home by late afternoon.
However, a total of three people were detained during the protest, which began around 7:30 p.m. and ended around 9:45 p.m., police said.
Another police officer was also injured during the demonstration and suffered minor injuries, but police have not released details of the incident.
The protest was part of a series of weekly demonstrations against police corruption, whose organizers have called for the firing of several New York City police chiefs over allegations of misconduct. AMNY reported.
According to the paper, protesters claimed that tensions only escalated when police swooped on the group and began arresting them without provocation.
The Post recently revealed that NYPD officers are being assaulted by suspects at a record rate.
A total of 1,286 officers were injured in fights with suspects in the final quarter of 2023, bringing the final tally for the year to a record high of 5,363 officers injured, according to department data.
Experts told the Post that violent protests, an influx of criminal immigrants, bail reform, anti-cop rhetoric and soft-on-crime prosecutors are the fuel that fuels a dangerous and disturbing trend.
